Dr. Lawrence Lemak

Dr. Lawrence Lemak is the Founder of Lemak Health—a center of excellence in orthopedic surgery with expertise in all areas of orthopedics and primary care sports medicine. Dr. Lemak devotes his practice to sports medicine and knee replacements and is a nationally recognized leader in his field.

With vast experience in sports medicine and his passion for the safety of athletes at every level of participation, Dr. Lemak serves as a member of the Medical Advisory Board of Pop Warner Football, Lakepoint Aspire Institute, and the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA)—sharing his knowledge and lending his expertise to these organizations.

Dr. Lemak founded the National Center for Sports Safety (NCSS) in 2001 after identifying a need to decrease the number and severity of injuries to youth, recreation, and high school athletes. The NCSS educates youth and high school coaches on the prevention and care of athletic injuries and has educated over 20,000 coaches since its inception.

Dr. Lemak’s devotion to sports medicine led him to found and chair the Alabama Sports Foundation in 1996—bringing the highest level of sports competition to Birmingham, Alabama. In addition, he was a founder of the American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI), a research and education institute for sports medicine, which has produced volumes of research for sports medicine and has educated over 250 orthopedic surgeons and family practitioners in sports medicine.

As the Medical Director of NFL’s Europe League for over 15 years, Dr. Lemak has cared for over 2,000 professional football players. In addition, he has been the Medical Director for Major League Soccer for 20 years. Not only does he treat professional athletes, he is also the team physician for many high schools and colleges in Alabama.

After Dr. Lemak brought the 1996 Olympic Soccer Games to Birmingham, along with many other sports medicine endeavors in the community, he was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame with the Distinguished Sportsman Award in 1997. Dr. Lemak was the first physician to be inducted into the AHSAA Hall of Fame and Montevallo sports Hall of Fame for his devotion to the care and safety of athletes in the State of Alabama.

Dr. Lemak is a graduate of The University of Alabama Medical School and completed his residency at The University of Pittsburgh. He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) and the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA).

Dr. Lemak has been married to his wife Georgine for 50 years and they have three children—John, David, and Matthew and seven grandchildren who all reside in Birmingham. In his free time, Dr. Lemak travels extensively and is busy raising two Golden Retrievers and enjoying his grandchildren.

Favorites:

Beverage of Choice: Sweet Tea

Passion/Hobby: Vacationing at the Gulf Coast with family

Favorite Movie or Book: Concussion, by Jeanne Marie Laskas

Favorite Musician: Most country singers

Dessert: Ice Cream