Tag: 2016 AFC Tim Davey Assistant Athletic Trainer of the Year

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Cowboys Bryant Has Complete Trust in Athletic Training Staff

Article reposted from ESPN
Author: Todd Archer

As the Dallas Cowboys prepare to open training camp on Saturday in Oxnard, California, two of their most important voices will belong to head athletic trainer Jim Maurer and associate athletic trainer Britt Brown.

Brown also carries the title of director of rehabilitation. He oversees the work put in by all of the team’s injured players. When you see Dez Bryantworking the bands in resistance training, Brown is on the other end, pushing and pulling, trying to make sure Bryant’s recovery from January foot surgery is complete.

With Bryant, Sean Lee (knee), Orlando Scandrick (knee), Gavin Escobar(Achilles tendon), Maliek Collins (foot) and Lance Dunbar (knee) coming back from surgeries major and minor, Brown’s recommendations are taken strongly.

The Cowboys will have to look at the injured players through different lenses. Some, like Dunbar, might open camp on the physically unable to perform list (as a potential cover in case he is not ready for the season opener). Some might open listed as PUP just to buy themselves an extra few days. Others might be ready for full drills from the first day.

But patience and a long-term view win out, especially with players who have sat out for an extended period of time.

“It’s complete trust,” Bryant said of Brown. “We all know that Britt has our best interest. Britt, he’s always honest. He’s extremely honest with us. He pushes us to the max.”

While some might be hesitant to confront players, Brown isn’t. Head coach Jason Garrett was a Cowboys player before he became a coach here in 2007. Brown has been with the Cowboys since 1996. Maurer has been with the team since 1990. They have the backing of Jerry Jones, Stephen Jones and Dallas’ coaches.

Rookies learn quickly that Brown is not to be messed with, but sometimes, they have to learn. In 2014, Ahmad Dixon was late to his rehab session while sitting in the locker room. When Brown came to get him, the rookie smiled, but Brown quickly told him he was not joking.

“His personality has not changed,” Garrett said of Brown. “He has been that way since minute one. You’ve heard me talk a lot about players who have a little edge to them, have a little chip on their shoulder. He’s got a mountain. He brings it every day, and that’s a really good thing for our football team.”

Bryant spent more time with Brown last year than he had his entire career after breaking his foot in the season opener. As he worked his way back from surgery, which included a screw insert and bone graft, Brown was there to push him when needed, as well as to pull back. Bryant was cleared to go after missing just five games.

In January, Bryant had a second bone graft surgery on his foot. He was held out of team drills as a precaution. Bryant kept talking about remaining patient, even if it was a difficult task.

Brown’s goal was to have Bryant ready for the season, not a spring practice.

“Man, I love Britt,” Bryant said. “I just love the way he goes about his business. He’s extremely aggressive. Honest. He cares a lot about us. And he just wants us to do good. When you’re around somebody like that, you have to go that extra mile for him.”

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Behind the Team: Sam Young Mountaineer Women’s Basketball

Article reposted from West Virginia Mountaineers
Author: Russell Luna

Keeping a top-tier collegiate athlete fresh and healthy is never an easy task. But for WVU women’s basketball athletic trainer Sam Young, it’s a duty she’s not afraid to tackle head-on.
Young, an assistant athletic trainer, is responsible for the overall health of the Mountaineers. She is the first point of contact when an athlete is injured or not feeling well. She also makes sure that the Mountaineers stay healthy and recover quickly throughout a long, grueling season.
“I am here anytime they are doing workouts, lifting, conditioning, open gym and practice,” noted Young. “We handle any issues that happens to them health-related and I’ll schedule any visits they need with specialists such as the orthopedic doctor.”
The Hico, West Virginia, native and WVU graduate has been with the women’s basketball program in a fulltime capacity for two years. She also served as a student athletic trainer for the Mountaineers during the 2011-12 campaign.
“My senior rotation was great,” noted Young. “You were able to experience what an actual athletic trainer has to do. You have to work all the hours and you’re covering everything and traveling along with the student-athletes.”
Young parlayed her undergraduate experience into a graduate assistantship at the University of Arizona. While with the Wildcats, she worked primarily with swimming & diving and the football team.
Since her return to WVU in 2014, Young has developed a good relationship with coach Mike Carey.
“We have a pretty good working relationship,” noted Young. “He understands it’s not necessarily my fault when someone gets injured. But, I’m going to do my best to get our athletes back to good health and on the court again.”
West Virginia has been fortunate to have a state-of-the-art facility with numerous tools and programs to help the injured student-athletes return to their full potential.
“You want to get them back as soon as you can, but you want to make sure they’re able to,” stated Young. “We’re not going to return them to play before they’re ready. We can help treat them multiple times during the day. I can have them come in before and after class. I can see them three or four times a day if need be to get all the treatment and rehab in. I take equipment with me on the road to help with the recovery as well.”
And when an athlete does suffer symptoms of a concussion, West Virginia has been a leader nationally in concussion diagnosis and treatment.
“WVU has always been the forefront of concussion protocol,” said Young. “Dr. Julian Bailes, who was a neurologist at WVU and was featured in the movie Concussion, played a big role in that. We’re using innovative software called X2, which helps us keep track of a concussion. Just two years ago, West Virginia and Stanford were the only two collegiate programs in the country to use this software. It’s useful to help us determine a concussion and the balance aspects of it.”
One of Young’s biggest focuses is helping the Mountaineers quickly recover after each game. Since the team often travels long distances during the conference slate, recovery plays a pivotal role in the Mountaineers’ success.
“Each student-athlete has recovery tights and recovery boots and we have the cold tub, which helps them out as well,” stated Young. “They are free to come in and get recovery treatment at any time. We have a physical therapist on staff. We have a lot of people who have different areas of expertise. I don’t have any problem bouncing ideas off of them and making sure our student-athletes get the best treatment.”
Regardless of the injury, the Mountaineers are in good hands with Young and the WVU Athletic Training staff.
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Ramirez Named Tim Davey Assistant Athletic Trainer of the Year

Houston Texans Coordinator of Rehabilitation/Assistant Athletic Trainer Roland Ramirez has been named the 2016 AFC Tim Davey Assistant Athletic Trainer of the Year.

The Tim Davey Assistant Athletic Trainer of the Year award is presented annually at the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society meeting at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. The recipient is nominated by the membership and selected by a committee that includes past recipients. This award is emblematic of the commitment, dedication and high level of integrity that Tim Davey, an employee of the New York Jets and the NFL for 33 years (1969-2002), brought to the profession of athletic training and is representative of his level of service which he dedicated to his surrounding community.

Ramirez just completed his eighth season with the Texans, where his primary responsibility is designing and implementing cutting edge and innovative rehab programs for all Texans players. Ramirez will be presented with a framed honor and monetary award for his efforts during the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.

“As an assistant athletic trainer, Roland exhibits the most important qualities; he is loyal, trustworthy, disciplined, passionate, dedicated, professional and a tireless worker,” said Texans Director of Sports Medicine/Head Athletic Trainer Geoff Kaplan. “Roland is the ultimate team player and works hard to make sure the Texans training room is organized and runs smoothly. Roland has a thirst for knowledge and is constantly trying to improve his athletic training skills. He has the unique ability to make the players work hard and believe they are going to get well.”

Ramirez is board certified as a clinical specialist in sports physical therapy by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialists. He also holds a certification as a strength and conditioning specialist and is a member of the NATA, APTA, NSCA, and PFATS. In 2013, Ramirez and the Texans sports medicine staff were recognized by the Pro Football Athletic Trainers Society as the Athletic Training Staff of the Year, an annual award voted on by all NFL athletic trainers.

Before joining the Texans, Ramirez worked for the Atlanta Falcons (2007), Tennessee Titans (2005-06), and Nashville Kats Arena Football team (2006). He earned a dual masters degree in physical therapy and athletic training from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in 2004 and 2005, respectively. Ramirez also played football at Texas Tech from 1998-99 and was named outstanding alumni of the year in 2015.

Content on HoustonTexans.com does not necessarily represent the views of the Houston Texans front office staff, coaches or executives.

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