Doctor James R. Andrews is one of the founding members of Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Alabama, and the co-founder of the American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI), a non-profit institute dedicated to injury prevention, education, and research in orthopaedic and sports medicine.
He continues to serve as Chairman of the Board and Medical Director of ASML Andrews is also a founding partner and Medical Director of the Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, Florida. He is President and Chairman of the Board of the Andrews Research and Education Foundation.
Andrews is internationally known and recognized for his skills as an orthopaedic surgeon as well as his scientific and clinical research contributions in knee, shoulder, and elbow injury prevention and treatment. In addition, he has made major presentations around the world and has authored numerous scientific articles and books.
Andrews graduated from Louisiana State University in 1963 and completed LSU School of Medicine in 1967. He completed his orthopaedic residency at Tulane Medical School in 1972. In that year, he had surgical fellowships in sports medicine at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and at the University of Lyon in France. He has also been awarded a Doctor of Laws Degree from Livingston University, a Doctor of Science Degree from Troy University, and a Doctor of Science Degree from Louisiana State University.
He is a member of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He is the past President of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine and also served on that board as its Treasurer and its Secretary. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Arthroscopy Association of North America as well as the International Knee Society.
In addition to holding board member positions with multiple organizations, Andrews is also on faculty at multiple institutions, including The University of Alabama Birmingham Medical School and Tulane University School of Medicine. At present, he is the Medical Director and Orthopaedic Surgeon for Auburn University Intercollegiate Athletics and Senior Orthopaedic Consultant at The University of Alabama.
Andrew’s work extends beyond college athletics where he is Senior Consultant for the Washington Professional Football Team and Orthopaedic Medical Director for the Tampa Bay Rays Professional Baseball team. He also serves as the Medical Director of the Ladies Professional Golf Association.
Andrews has been inducted into multiple halls of fame including the Alabama and Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the LSU Alumni Hall of Distinction. Additionally, he has been the recipient of a multitude of awards, some including the prestigious NCAA President’s Gerald R. Ford Award that honors an individual who has provided significant leadership in the role of advocate for intercollegiate athletics and has done so on a continuous basis over the course of their career.
A native of Homer, Louisiana, Doctor Andrews has called Birmingham home since 1986. He also resides part-time in Pensacola Beach, Florida. He and his wife Jenelle have six children, Andy, Amy, Archie, Ashley, Amber, Abby, and six grandchildren. In his free time, he enjoys yacht racing, which includes the “America’s Cup.”
