Former NFL lineman goes from jock to doc

HOUSTON (AP) -For Dr. Mark Adickes, NFL offensive lineman and medical residents have a lot in common.

Players slugging it out in the trenches go largely unnoticed and unappreciated, surrendering the limelight to quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers.

"So a resident is very much like that," Adickes said. "Your job is to work your tail off to keep all your patients healthy so that they can thank the attending physician."

Adickes knows this because he's done both.

He spent seven seasons protecting quarterbacks and blocking for running backs as an offensive lineman in the NFL, even winning a Super Bowl with the Washington Redskins.

But after his playing days ended, he didn't follow the road many players take - buying into a business franchise or going into broadcasting. Instead, he opted for the underpaid, sleep-deprived experience that is medical school and residency.

"As a surgical resident, you work very long hours, you get very little time off. You definitely have to swallow your pride on a regular basis. You get paid nothing," said Adickes, whose imposing 6-foot-5 frame belies his easygoing demeanor.

After spending the last 13 years on his medical training, Adickes has his dream job as an orthopedic surgeon with Memorial Hermann's Roger Clemens Institute for Sports Medicine and Human Performance in Houston's Texas Medical Center.

Adickes, who graduated from high school in Killeen, was an All-American at Baylor. He started his pro football career in the now defunct USFL in 1984, playing two seasons before moving up to the Kansas City Chiefs and Washington Redskins.

Although Adickes was never a star in the NFL, he considered himself a good lineman, helping the Redskins win the Super Bowl after the 1991 season.

"You get six months off a year. You get to take out your frustrations every day on the practice field. You get paid well. And the hours are reasonable," he said.

Going to medical school, however, didn't turn out to be as pleasant.

Even before he could apply to medical school, Adickes, who had earned a business degree at Baylor, had to go back to college for three years to take the science courses he needed.