re: Soon To Be Saint Jaylon Smith already walking w/o Knee Brace

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“It told me he had a nerve palsy,” he said. “I hope it’s temporary, but it could mean that he needs a ‘redshirt’ year. The early reports of no nerve damage were optimistic, so I hope he ends up okay.”

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Chances are, if there’s an injury during an NFL game, you’re going to hear about it from Dr. David Chao. The 51-year-old former San Diego Chargers team doctor has cultivated an impressive following on Twitter, boasting more than 43,000 followers. His success at diagnosing injuries from afar has earned him spots on Sirius XM radio and a regular column at the National Football Post.

While Chao might just seem like a run-of-the-mill expert on sports injuries, his story is hardly that boring. Any cursory Google search could lead you to believe he was the devil incarnate, but many he has worked with over the year swear by him. So just who is this guy? The answer is far more complicated than you may think.

Chao is no stranger to controversy and that makes his new-found Twitter fame hard for some to take. During his years as the Chargers’ doctor, he cultivated relationships with a number of prominent players who back him to this day. On the flip side, he had two alcohol-related driving incidents, was subject to a DEA investigation, was reportedly sued 20 times between 1998-2011 and the NFLPA demanded he step down as a result of repeated negligence.

In 2014, Chao had his license revoked by the California Medical Board, but that sentence was stayed as part of a settlement. He is currently serving a five-year probation term instead. He was accused of “committing gross negligence, repeated negligent acts and acts of dishonesty and corruption.” He is still a practicing orthopedist and is right to quickly to point out that an independent panel of doctors unanimously cleared him of any wrongdoing in the NFLPA investigation.

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Chao charts his hits and misses on Twitter when predicting injuries, he has himself at 94 percent. Despite his controversial past, he can provide value to viewers. There is no disputing his expertise in that area, he has been around the NFL long enough to identify injuries when they happen. Yes, he’s had some high-profile misses, but that’s going to happen when diagnosing from afar.

Chao says he aims to be the “medical Mike Pereira,” someone who can tell fans not only what happened, but why. His constant refrain is that he deals with “insider knowledge, not insider information.” The message being that he knows his business, but he’s not getting any leaked information from people inside the league.

“Because I’ve been inside the game, it brings a different perspective,” Chao said. I know how the league works. It’s not a carny trick, I’m experienced. It’s not 100 percent, I miss some. I’m open about that. I am doing this as a hobby, I’m still a practicing orthopedist.”

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