BETTENDORF, Iowa (KWQC) – Long before Roger Craig was voted into the pro football Hall of Fame, an autographed picture of him was hung on the wall of fame at Tri-Med Health and Wellness Center in Bettendorf.
“That man practiced like you’ve never seen before,” chiropractic physician Mitch Mally said.
Mally said Craig was committed to be the very best.
Along with Roger Craig, the pictures of celebrities on the wall include Lou Ferrigno, Michelle Wie and Kyrie Irving just to name a few.
“When people walk down the wall of fame they go, ‘Oh you treated somebody,’ I immediately stop them and say ‘Would you like to know their story?’ because that’s the glory,” he said.
Dr. Mally is an expert in extremities, teaching and practicing the Mally Method around the world.
“We’re taught originally how the spine effects everything, I look at how everything else can also effect the spine.”
Before he was treating pro athletes and celebrities, Dr. Mally had different plans for his life.
“I was just a guy who had a zest for knowledge, almost becoming an orthopedic surgeon with a fellowship in sports medicine which was one of my desires or playing pro football or pro baseball.”
One injury would realign everything.
“I ended up on the field injured with a left knee and a chiropractor said ‘Look before you have surgery, let’s get the best nerve and blood supply back to the tissue,’ and I’m going what is this?”
It led Mally to Palmer college of chiropractic. When he arrived in Davenport, Mally wanted to still be around football so he stopped by practice at Davenport Central High School.
“I went to the head coach I introduced myself I said ‘Hey I’m Mitch Mally, I’m gonna start chiropractic college and I just wanted to let you know that I would like to work with your quarterbacks, your wide receivers, your kickoff returners etcetera,’.”
That led to Mally treating Roger Craig. When Roger was drafted by the 49ers, Mally knew exactly who could assist with Roger’s care.
“I couldn’t keep traveling back and forth to San Francisco and everywhere he played,” Mally said. “I made several trips but one of my students, Dr. Nick Athens out of San Francisco, I was able to refer Roger to with a caveat that if you and or Roger run into problems and you need my expertise and years of experience then fly me in or fly Roger out.”
With the care of Athens and Mally, Roger was in good hands throughout his 11 seasons in the NFL.
“The belief in taking care of your body before the event is what I call the pregame tune-up,” he said. “And after the game Roger always never missed a pregame and he never missed the postgame. Immediately, as soon after the game was over he was back in getting treatment.”
The treatment worked so well for Roger that he had to recommend it to his teammates but getting the team on board wasn’t easy
“‘I can’t get the team doctor, I can’t get the team trainer, I can’t get the team physical therapist or the owner to refer anybody else to Nick and to you,’ and I said ‘Well you need to go through Joe Montana, the team leader, the captain.’.”
Montana started being treated by Athens, helping to pave the way for chiropractic care to become embraced by so many NFL players.
“Joe got treated and all of a sudden Joe Montana is in a Super Bowl being seen by 90 million people getting adjusted by Nick Athens.”
Dr. Malley has worked with legendary athletes
“I get flown out to take care of these stars and celebrities and it is just absolutely incredible to go to those games get those seats right up front because you made an impact on their life that nobody was able to do at that time.”
What’s important to him isn’t who he treats.
“Roger was a testament, a true testament, to conviction of treating his body and worshiping it so it could perform.”
It’s their stories. None better than Roger Craig’s
“It’s not about who they are,” he said. “It’s what was done for them, that they said ‘Thank you this is the best I’ve ever felt,’.”
This weekend, Dr. Mally will be in Canton to see the final chapter.
“It is going to be one of my greatest highlights ever,” he said. “It’s well deserved, well earned and there won’t be a dry eye around.”
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