John Michels

Michels was drafted in the first round, 27th pick overall, of the 1996 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. When then-starter and fellow Trojan Ken Ruettgers went down with a knee injury, Michels took over the left tackle duties. He started 9 games in his rookie season, helping the Packers win Super Bowl XXXI. He was named the Green Bay Packers 1996 Co-Rookie of the Year (along with Tyrone Williams) and earned NFL All-Rookie honors. In 1997, he returned as the starting left tackle, starting the first five games of the season before injuring his right knee against the Detroit Lions. He was sidelined for the rest of the season and replaced by that year’s first-round pick Ross Verba. After having his best training camp as a professional in 1998, he again injured his right knee and spent the year on injured reserve. Unable to recover from his knee injury, he struggled in training camp in 1999 and was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for defensive end Jon Harris. Michels only lasted a couple of weeks in Philadelphia before his knee injury ultimately ended his career. In 2008 Michels received his medical degree from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. He completed a residency in Diagnostic Radiology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. He is a diplomat of the American Board of Radiology and is currently a Fellow in Interventional Pain Medicine at the University of California, Irvine. He has a passion for human performance and looks to have a medical career that helps prevent, treat, and rehabilitate the injury so that people can perform at their optimal levels and live out their passions, pain-free.