Matt Gregg (left), the Titans’ director of sports medicine, works on wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Matt Gregg had always played sports growing up, with football and wrestling as his mainstays. But after taking three years of biology classes in college, the Lewistown native was left grappling with an uncertain career path.

Until one fateful day, Gregg had a conversation with the athletic trainer for Division I Duquesne University’s wrestling team and the pieces just seemed to fall into place for a successful vocation in sports medicine.

Twelve years later, the 36-year-old Gregg was recently promoted to be the director of sports medicine for the National Football League’s Tennessee Titans, who are based in Nashville, Tenn.

“It is definitely my dream job,” Gregg said. “When I started this, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I bounced around a couple different things in school.”

Biology for starters.

It wasn’t until his junior year at Pittsburgh-based Duquesne – after he had taken three years of biology classes and had no idea what he wanted to do for a career – when he vented his frustrations to the Dukes’ wrestling trainer, who encouraged him to give athletic training a shot.

“Nothing really felt right,” Gregg recalled. “He just told me to try this. I researched it a bit, and eventually fell in love with athletic training.

“I always like sports,” Gregg added. “I was intrigued by anatomy, physiology and rehabilitation of injury fascinated me.”

Athletic training offered a mix of all those interests. His last year at Duquesne, Gregg worked as a seasonal athletic training intern for the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2011 season.

“Halfway through that, I knew this is what I wanted to do for a living,” Gregg said.

Gregg completed his undergraduate degree from Duquesne then earned a master’s degree from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La. He has also become a Performance Enhancement Specialist through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and a Certified Active Release Technique provider.

Gregg served as a graduate assistant athletic trainer at LSU, working with the women’s gymnastics team for two seasons.

After his stint at LSU, he accepted a position as athletic trainer with Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville – now called Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown – where he assisted the Titans’ athletic training staff for two seasons.

When Gregg took that job, he hoped it would lead to an opportunity to work in the NFL. And he was right.

“I started in a position there as a way to get my foot in the door,” Gregg said. “There were two athletic trainers that worked with the Titans.”

Eventually, former Titans Director of Sports Medicine Todd Toriscelli brought Gregg on board as associate head athletic trainer. Toriscelli, who is considered the dean of athletic trainers as he has mentored at least six other directors around the league.

“He had a tree of people that have worked for him,” Gregg said. “They’ve gone on to do incredible things. It’s amazing considering there are only 32 NFL teams.”

“He has the track record to hire, develop and promote other trainers,” Gregg added. “This was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”

So, he learned from the best until Toriscelli decided to retire after the 2024 season.

While interning with the Steelers, Gregg networked with Toriscelli and the two hit it off instantly during his interview with the Titans in 2014.

“It’s a fit for sure,” Gregg said of being hired by the Titans. “Sometimes, it’s a matter of being in the right place at the right time to get that initial opportunity. That’s how I got my opportunity, and it blossomed here.

“Todd helped me grow,” Gregg added. “He has the formula figured out.”

Now, Gregg spends his Sundays on the sidelines attending to NFL players who need his medical expertise. With the Titans, he’s worked with the likes of current players like wide receiver Calvin Ridley, running back Tony Pollard and quarterback Will Levis, who spent time at Penn State, as well as former players Derrick Henry, Marcus Mariota and A.J. Brown.

Working with superstars isn’t any different than working an average Joe. “Maybe a little more as an intern with the Steelers,” said Gregg of being intimidated by NFL superstars. “It was something different. Once I got here, I was pretty comfortable with that. They’re the same as you and me, they’re just really good at playing football.”

Gregg also has responsibilities that give him an integral role for the Titans at the NFL Combine and NFL Draft.

“At the combine, I evaluate players and a do a medical-risk assessment on all of the 300-plus players,” he explained. “Every NFL team does their own assessment of each player.” It’s an extensive process collecting information as he and his staff put together medical histories on each player.

At the NFL Draft, he has to be available to provide medical insight about a prospective pick’s health status. “I meet with the front office and head coach on all that stuff,” Gregg said. “I go down to the draft room and talk through what the concerns are.”

Gregg also had to adjust to the Titans’ decision to change coaches after the season as Mike Vrabel, who is now coaching the New England Patriots, was replaced with Brian Callahan.

“Mike was very demanding, but I appreciated his honesty,” Gregg said. “He played at a high level himself. We had a lot of success when he was here.

“He was big on holding people accountable; it could be anyone on his coaching staff, stocking towels in the bathroom or anyone in between,” Gregg added. “I’ve got a lot of respect for him, and he did a lot for me. He really does care about the people that work for him, but he runs a tight ship.”

Vrabel never forgot about the importance of family. He often wrestled with Gregg’s sons in the Titans’ training room.

Callahan has also made a good impression, too. “I like him a lot,” Gregg said. “He’s a really good guy, he’s sharp and he’s been great with our staff.

From training camp in July until the end of the season, Gregg typically works seven days a week. On game days, he is typically at the stadium around 7:30 a.m. most Sundays. Players usually show up around 8:30 a.m. and Gregg and his staff work with those who are nursing injuries and evaluating if they can play.

Those who can play then go through warm-up drills. Gregg, the strength and conditioning coach, head coach and general manager make a joint decision about those who are deemed fit to play and those who will be inactive.

Those who can play then are taped and fitted with braces for their limbs.

Once the game starts, Gregg and his staff stand on the sidelines at the ready if players get injured or need hydration.

After the game, injured players are evaluated, too, and updates are shared with the head coach. Gregg usually is home by 4:30 p.m. most Sundays.

Road games are much more involved as the team packs up a full-service training room for players at away games. The night before a road contest, players go through a treatment session at the hotel, with a masseuse and chiropractor.

Once gameday ends, the process starts all over on Monday.

“We try to have as many questions answered as we can by Tuesday,” Gregg said. “We have to have a very extensive knowledge of injury, rehabilitation and a typical timeline. We give our diagnosis or prognosis, but it is definitely a collaborative effort.”

All with the player’s best interest in mind.

Gregg currently lives in the Nashville suburb of Hendersonville with his wife, Callie; two sons, Wyatt, 9, and Brooks, 7; and daughter, Harper, 5.