Dr. Bob McCormack

CFL Bob Ackles Award | 2022

Dr. Bob McCormack has been a medical advisor to the BC Lions since 1990, the head physician of the BC Lions (as of 2022), and is one of the biggest and most influential names in the BC sports medicine circles with decades of experience as an orthopedic surgeon specializing in athletic injuries and musculoskeletal trauma.

Dr. McCormack has been involved in BC’s sports system at every level, along with extensive experience on the international stage including being part of the Canadian Olympic Medical Team on 10 occasions, six as the Chief Medical Officer, as of 2022.

During the outbreak of COVID-19, Dr. McCormack took an immediate involvement with the BC Lions to advice on actions to be taken both in the locker room and the office to ensure the safety of all BC Lions employees. Around the same time, the Canadian Football League (CFL) announced the creation of a CFL Medical Committee which was co-led by Dr. McCormack.

Through his involvement with the committee, Dr. McCormack became involved daily with both the CFL and the CFL Players Association (CFLPA). The Medical Committee was instrumental in developing a plan for the players to play in a bubble environment in 2020 (which did not ultimately come to fruition), as well as determining the plan to play a shortened 14-game season in 2021.

In 2021, Dr. McCormack was named as the Chief Medical Officer of the CFL.

Aside from Dr. McCormack’s countless titles and organizations that he has been involved in, he has also received numerous accolades including being named an honourary lifetime member of SportMedBC, an inductee of the SFU Sports Hall of Fame, and an inductee of the Queen’s University Athletics Hall of Fame.

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