MINNEAPOLIS, MN - April 15, 2019 - Minnesota Vikings vice president of sports medicine and head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman has been named the Fred Zamberletti Award recipient by the Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation. He will be recognized at the 12th Annual Minnesota Football Honors on Saturday, April 27 at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Sugarman enters his 23rd season in the NFL, his 14th with the Vikings and his second in his current role. He and his staff received the NFL’s highest honor for their field when they were named the 2017 Athletic Training Staff of the Year. Sugarman was previously recognized by ESPN Magazine as the NFL’s Most Irreplaceable Athletic Trainer in 2009. Sugarman and his staff have also received awards in recognition of their use of aquatic therapy and their efforts to increase Minnesota high school athletes’ access to certified athletic trainers.

Sugarman has been part of 10 NFL playoff teams, including eight division championship teams. He has overseen treatment during five Vikings playoff runs and four NFC North titles. In addition to treating injuries, Sugarman and his staff implement proactive treatment, and also work closely with the Vikings’ nutrition staff. They were involved in the design of the athletic training facilities before the team’s 2018 move to the Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center.

In his time with the Vikings, Sugarman has helped numerous players return from injuries to top form. Following a severe knee injury in late 2011, Adrian Peterson went on to an MVP season in 2012 with one of the best rushing totals in league history. Chad Greenway, Heath Farwell and E.J. Henderson are among players making Pro-Bowl appearances after recovering from season-ending injuries under the watch of Sugarman and his staff.

The Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation will host the 12th Annual Minnesota Football Honors on Saturday, April 27, 2019 at U.S. Bank Stadium. The event is presented by the Minnesota Vikings and is the largest football awards event in Minnesota. Doors open at 2 p.m. for the 4 p.m. event. The event is open to the public.  For additional information about this year’s Minnesota Football Honors and to purchase tickets, please visit www.minnesotafootballhonors.com. For sponsorship information, please email sean@nffmn.org.

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About the Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation:
The Minnesota Chapter of The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a local non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and develop the power of amateur football in developing the qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, competitive spirit and academic excellence in Minnesota’s young people. The MN Chapter recognizes legendary football icons, college football Hall of Famers and Minnesota’s top high school and college football scholar athletes. For more information, visit www.nffmn.org, Facebook or Twitter.

Contact:
Sean Gothier, Executive Director
MN Chapter of The National Football Foundation
sean@nffmn.org