BIRMINGHAM, AL -- Dr. James Andrews has made a career out of saving careers. He repaired Deuce McAllister's knees and rebuilt Drew Brees' shoulder, but how did this LSU graduate become one of the most sought after orthopedic surgeons in the world?

WWL-TV

Dr. James Andrews has repaired everyone from quarterbacks and pitchers to pro wrestlers.

Andrews’ business is all about keeping players on the field. Busted knee, see Andrews. Bum shoulder, Andrews has the answer; especially when others don’t.

“I was fortunate enough to be watching the football game on TV the day that (Drew Brees) got hurt. And then when he came off the field he was holding his arm up locked,” Andrews said. “So when I saw that I knew it wouldn’t just an ordinary injury.”

Check the rosters of most major professional sports teams and chances are, you'll find not one, but several former patients of Andrews. From quarterback to pitchers—even pro wrestlers—and even those who just love to play, the walls of his current office remain a testament to his work, while the construction of his new office, a testament to his career – which could have been something else.

He was an SEC champion pole-vaulter at LSU, but stopped competing after his sophomore year. Not because of injuries, but because of priorities. After his father’s death, Andrews focused on medical school and pole vaulting was put off.

“I’ve always wondered and dream about what could I have done if I’d have kept trying to be a pole-vaulter. Of course, I made a pretty good decision in the long run,” Andrews said.

Most would agree, because by cutting his athletic career short, Andrews has allowed so many more to be extended.

Two prominent clients helped put Andrews into the spotlight. Before Roger Clemens struck out 20 batters in 1985, Andrews kept him in baseball by repairing his shoulder. Football player Bo Jackson came back from hip replacement surgery to once again play Major League Baseball.

“They both marquee, what I would call ‘signature patients’ for me,” Andrews said. “If I picked one over the other, I’d probably get in trouble with the other one.”

Since then, the only thing more impressive than the athletes he performs surgery on is the sheer number of surgeries he performs. On the day of our interview, Andrews estimated he already had knocked out ten procedures by 1 p.m.

A quick look at his resume would explain why Andrews is always in such a hurry: he's the medical director for the Washington Redskins, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the LPGA, as well as both Auburn and Alabama.

“The first time I went to Baton Rouge and came back to Tiger Stadium and I was on the sideline with Auburn, it was awkward walking out on that field from the other end,” he said. “I still have a great pride in my LSU heritage...I pull for them when I’m not with the team that’s playing against them, I can promise you.”

But moreover, Andrews is simply a fan of the athlete, spending almost more time preventing injuries than repairing them. A state-of-the-art research facility is part of his non-profit institute that's helped foster innovation and, more importantly, education in sports medicine. And at 65-years-old, Andrews said retirement has never crossed his mind.

Andrews helped initiate a new pitch count at this year's Little League World Series after seeing his number of 10 to 12-year-old patients with arm trouble jump from single digits in 2000 to triple digits in 2004.

It's just another way Andrews keeps athletes where he believes they should be – on the field and not the operating table, never looking back saying ‘what if,’ but looking ahead, saying ‘what's next?’