Rolf Benirschke

Rolf Benirschke is a former NFL placekicker whose ten-year career was nearly derailed during his third season by a life-threatening battle with ulcerative colitis. He would require two emergency surgeries and spend two months in the hospital fighting for his life. After a remarkable comeback, he returned to play seven more seasons with the San Diego Chargers earning numerous honors including Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, NFL Comeback Player of the Year, All-Pro, and became the twentieth player inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame.

Following his NFL career, Rolf founded Legacy Health Strategies, a patient engagement company that amplifies the voice of patients to accelerate the development and delivery of new medicines, treatments, and devices and helped launch several biotech companies doing inflammatory bowel research. As a respected leader and speaker in the health care industry and a spokesperson for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, he is a tireless advocate for IBD patients.

With a passion to improve the lives of ostomy patients, he founded his non-profit, Embracing Ostomy Life, to support and encourage everyone who undergoes this life changing surgery. He also sits on the board of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, ViroMissile, SRT Therapeutics, and works closely with the founders of Prometheus Labs and Mirador Therapeutics. He has written four books including his autobiography, Alive & Kicking, and Saving Wildlife, the story of his father’s work in conservation at the San Diego Zoo. He is married and the father of four children, including three with special needs.