2025-2026 Sports Medicine Staff

Jeff Hopp is in his 24th year as the Blue Devils’ Director of Sports Medicine.  Along with caring for the MCS athletes, he also supervises the student athletic trainer program, giving Marietta High School students the opportunity to get hands on sports medicine experience as well as coordinating several safety programs for MCS.  Over the last couple of years, he has started leading students on international trips to places like Costa Rica, Ireland, England, France, Italy, and Greece, with trips planned to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Alps, and other European destinations.

Prior to joining the Blue Devils medical staff he spent almost 7 years providing outreach athletic training coverage to several Cobb and Cherokee county schools for Resurgens Orthopaedics. He was the Head Athletic Trainer for the Barcelona Dragons of NFL Europe from 1995 to 1997 after working with the Minnesota Vikings in 1994 as an Assistant Athletic Trainer.  Along with his full time duties, he was part of the medical staff for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games and served as the medical coordinator for the 2007 US National Paralympic Track and Field Championships.  He has traveled with numerous US National Team Handball teams to various international tournaments including the World Championships in Besancon, France in 2001. In 2008, he ventured into the world of small business ownership with the inception of Sports Performance and Athletic Training Services, LLC. He has served as president, vice president, treasurer, and secondary schools representative for the Georgia Athletic Trainers Association.  He has served as the vice president for the Southeast Athletic Trainers Association and is a member of the Injury Prevention Research Center at Emory Traumatic Brain Injury Task Force.  He was a founding member and later chairman of the Georgia Concussion Coalition and was instrumental in passing the GA Return to Play Act in 2013.   As a member of the GHSA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee he has helped develop the GHSA heat guidelines, the GHSA pitch count rules for baseball, and has played an integral part in developing guidelines to help ensure the safety of athletes through the recent COVID pandemic. Jeff has served as a clinical instructor for Life University’s graduate athletic training program and on the advisory board for St. Augustine’s graduate athletic training program.  He was awarded the Athletic Trainer Service Award by the National Athletic Trainers Association in 2016, was named the 2020 Jerry Rhea Athletic Trainer of the Year award by the Georgia Athletic Trainers Association, and received the 21-22 MCS Superintendent’s Award for MHS. In 2024, he was appointed to the Georgia Board if Athletic Trainers by Gov. Brian Kemp.

He is a graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato (BS – Athletic Training) , is certified by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Board of Certification,  a nationally registered emergency medical technician (EMT), and is licensed to practice as an athletic trainer and EMT in the state of GA.  A native of Minnesota, he lives in Dallas, GA with his wife Julie, and their 3 dogs, Bella, Copper, and Penny. 

Alli Bird joined Marietta City Schools Sports Medicine staff in July 2022. Along with being an athletic trainer, Alli also teaches the Health Science Pathway in the CTAE department at Marietta High School.

Bird has been practicing as an athletic trainer for 11 years providing care in the high school setting ranging from schools sized 1A to 7A. Prior to joining the Blue Devil medical staff, Bird resided in Myrtle Beach, SC for 7 years working in the high school setting as an athletic trainer before transitioning into the classroom as a full-time teacher. 

She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training from Slippery Rock University in 2013. As an athletic training student at SRU she worked with Slippery Rock’s men’s soccer team, men’s and women’s track and field team, women’s basketball team, and a stint at Slippery Rock High School. While attending SRU, Alli was a member of the women’s soccer team her first two years of attendance before focusing solely on her studies.

In the Spring of 2018, Bird received her Master of Science degree with a concentration in Advanced Athletic Training from the University of South Florida.

Currently, Alli is working on her Education Specialist degree from the University of Georgia with an emphasis in Workforce Education. She is anticipated to graduate in December of 2025. 

Bird is certified with the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Board of Certification, is licensed to practice as an athletic trainer in the state of Georgia and recently passed the NREMT exam to become a nationally registered emergency medical technician (EMT). Alli is licensed to practice as an emergency medical technician in the state of Georgia.  A native of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, in the Pocono Mountains. She currently resides in Powder Springs, GA with her two dogs, Gracie Lou and Oakley Mae.

 Devan Dowdell is a dedicated and dynamic Certified Athletic Trainer proudly serving Marietta Middle Grades and Marietta High School. With experience across collegiate, clinical, and outreach settings, she brings a well-rounded, athlete-first approach to care that prioritizes both performance and long-term well-being.

Since earning her certification in 2022, Devan has worked with a wide range of populations, she has a strong passion for concussion management and return-to-play protocols, and she is credentialed as both an ImPACT Trained Athletic Trainer (ITAT) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) provider. Devan is known for her calm, confident care and her ability to create trust and open communication with student-athletes, families, coaches, and medical professionals alike.

She earned her Master of Science in Athletic Training from Eastern Kentucky University (2022) and holds dual bachelor’s degrees in African and African American Studies and Health & Human Performance from Berea College (2020).

As a committed professional, Devan is actively involved in several organizations that promote excellence and equity in athletic training. She is a proud member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), Southeast Athletic Trainers’ Association (SEATA), and Georgia Athletic Trainers’ Association (GATA). She also serves on the NATA Ethnic Diversity Advisory Committee (EDAC), where she advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of sports medicine.

Beyond her credentials and professional accomplishments, Devan’s work is deeply personal. A proud product of Marietta City Schools, she is honored to serve the very community that helped shape her. Devan attended Marietta Charter School, Marietta Sixth Grade Academy, Marietta Middle School, and Marietta High School—graduating in 2016 as a member of the first class to walk across the stage at the newly renovated Northcutt Stadium. While at MHS, she was a multi-sport athlete, playing softball, competing on the track & field team, and staying active in clubs and extra-curriculars like FCCLA, FCA, theatre, and Dual Enrollment.

That Marietta pride runs deep—though there’s a little friendly rivalry at home. Her mom, a McEachern alum, still reps her own version of MHS. Who’s the real MHS? That depends on who you ask—but Devan stands proudly with Marietta. GO BIG BLUE!

When she’s not on the sidelines or in the Athletic Training Clinic, Devan enjoys relaxing with her adorable Maltipoo, Heaven, diving into a good book, working out, or binge-watching true crime documentaries.