2 Bengals team physicians won't return

CINCINNATI - They go to work early and stay late because injuries are immune to the clock. It always fascinated me how Doctors like Rob Heidt, Jr. and Angelo Colosimo parcel out their time. There is the day job.

Dr. Colosimo is an assistant professor and Director of Sports Medicine for University Orthopaedics at UC. Dr. Heidt maintains a practice at Wellington Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine

Dr. Heidt also ministers to student athletes at his Alma Mater, St. Xavier High School.

Meanwhile, Colosimo has a long association with Beechwood High School where his sons matriculated. Joe is at Duke playing baseball, Mike, who's signed on to play football for UC, will remain under dad's guiding eye as the Bearcats long-time orthopedist.

All that and the Bengals too. Road trips require flying out Saturday mornings to the game city, returning on the team charter and being available early Monday to assess bumps, bruises and worse from the day before.

They both love the game or Angelo wouldn't have devoted the last 12 seasons and Rob 27 years to it. Nearly three decades during which he ascended to the Presidency of the NFL Physicians Society.

Both told me Wednesday though, that while they will maintain their other posts they are regrettably relinquishing their NFL duties.

Dr. Colosimo said that he will miss being in close proximity to athletes at the top of their game but the frustration of juggling team interests against demands of agents on behalf of their clients has gotten tedious. And family time he realizes is all the more precious as his children grow up.

A similar sentiment was expressed by Dr. Heidt who says that having breathing room during football season is something he'll eagerly embrace.

"I have been very fortunate to have served 27 years as the Cincinnati Bengals team physician and am thankful to the Brown family to have had this opportunity," said Dr. Heidt. "This has been the experience of a lifetime."

The announcement of their departures on the same day is somewhat curious but neither would say any sort of intrigue was involved. They just feel the time is right to move on.