He recognizes that some young fans know him for the surgery and not his baseball career , but he 's not bothered . Hundreds of NFL players have had Tommy John surgery . John says it 's an honor to have the operation named after him . The increase in the number of surgeries is due to younger players playing year - round , he says .
Hundreds of NFL players have had Tommy John surgery . John says it 's an honor to have the operation named after him . The increase in the number of surgeries is due to younger players playing year - round , he says .