Marissa Figueroa Named Bills' Asst. Athletic Trainer; BUF's 1st Full-Time Female ATC

The Buffalo Bills announced the hiring of Marissa Figueroa as their new assistant athletic trainer on Thursday.

It is a historic hire for the Bills, as she is the first full-time female athletic trainer ever to work for the organization.

Bills general manager Brandon Beane said the following about elevating Figueroa from athletic training intern to assistant athletic trainer:

"The first thing you notice about Marissa is her positive attitude. She's always around and available to help out, and that's what you need in this industry. You show up here early in the morning and Marissa is here. Late in the day, she's here as well. She loves being around, and you can tell she's got passion for the job."

Beane added: "Marissa is not afraid of the moment. She blends in well with our young players and with our veterans on the team."

The Bills tweeted a rundown of Figueroa's resume, which includes a stint as an intern with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2018 before she began interning with the Bills in 2021:

Figueroa was also an athletic trainer at UC Davis from 2019 to 2021, working with both the football and women's lacrosse teams.

For the 2023 season, Figueroa will join a Bills training staff that helped save the life of safety Damar Hamlin last season after he went into cardiac arrest during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Assistant athletic trainer Denny Kellington administered life-saving CPR to Hamlin, who has been cleared to resume his playing career in 2023.

The Bills enter the 2023 campaign having reached the playoffs in four straight seasons and won the AFC East three years in a row.

While the gap between the Bills and both the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets seems to be closing, Buffalo is still the team to beat in the AFC East heading into the 2023 season.