Saw this in the Houston Chronicle. Its behind a paywall I think, so I 'll post text here
For Robert Killebrew, the key to effective physical therapy is trust. Patients have to believe in the program and know that their therapist is leading them in the right direction.
“Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care,” he says. It has been his guiding principle throughout his physical therapy career.
Killebrew, 39, serves as clinical director of FYZICAL Klein, having returned last year to the community where he was once a high school football star. He now helps athletes of all ages, in addition to guiding patients recovering from injuries or dealing with chronic pain.
“Everybody, from the neighborhood champion to the professional star, deserves personalized care and unwavering support,” Killebrew said.
Latrell McCutchin is one example. The 21-year-old defensive back for the University of Houston was Killebrew’s patient back in Austin a few years ago.
McCutchin was in his sophomore year of high school when he tore his ACL, a crucial ligament in the knee joint. He was told it would take nine months to a year to recover.
“I ended up being cleared after seven and a half months,” McCutchin said. “I give it all to Robert. He pushed me day in and day out. He made sure I was back to doing what I wanted to do.”
McCutchin has recommended friends to Killebrew, especially now that they are in the same city.
“I was excited to go to rehab and do better," McCutchin said. "I had 100% trust in him.”
McCutchin knew that Killebrew had firsthand experience.
Killebrew knows what it takes to be an athlete, both at the high school and college level. He knows the importance of striving for improvement and how to succeed in the face of multiple challenges.
When faced with an injury, Killebrew proved that he could persevere.
“You always want to be around someone who’s been where you are — and who’s been where you want to go,” McCutchin said.
Growing up, Killebrew was more interested in riding bikes, swimming, skateboarding and climbing trees than perfecting his spiral.
By the time he decided to try football in the seventh grade, most of his peers had been honing their skills for years.
He didn’t really know the ins and outs of the game, and he didn’t much like the sport. “Not even a little bit,” he laughed. “I was standing on the sidelines the whole time. It was boring.”
Killebrew was on the C team, but that only challenged him to try harder. “My mom raised no quitter,” he said.
Being a bit behind was an advantage, Killebrew decided. “It propelled me,” he said. “I was always working.”
His high school coach told him, “You never know how good you are. So you always try to get better.”
Besides, all of Killebrew’s friends were on the A team. He soon realized that by training harder, he could join their ranks, which he did by his sophomore year.
“Everything kind of clicked,” he recalled.
The following year, Killebrew was offered his first athletic scholarship, from the University of Oklahoma. Then came another from the University of Florida. The University of California, Los Angeles followed.
Killebrew would end up receiving 30 offers for full scholarships. He was ranked as the eighth best linebacker in the country; in some surveys, he was fifth.
Wanting to stay close to family, after graduating from Klein High School in 2003, Killebrew headed to the University of Texas at Austin, where he would become the outside linebacker for the Longhorns.
“I was surrounded by the best,” he recalled.
He was impressed by the work ethic of his teammates. “ It truly embodied the idea that hard work beats talent, when talent doesn't work hard — and that everyone has a part and is key to the success of the whole,” he said.
He was part of the team, as they clinched a victory in the 2005 Rose Bowl and the 2006 NCAA National Championship.
At the same time, he immersed himself in his studies, majoring in kinesiology and minoring in business. He considered it his plan B, assuming his future would lie in the pros.
But it wasn’t in the cards.
He took a break, went to California and became a self-described surf bum for a while. He found a job in construction and later, a substitute teacher.
Finally, his agent alerted him to an opportunity in Canada, with the Calgary Stampeders. He packed his bags and headed north.
But after only a few weeks of training, he heard a pop and felt his hamstring balling up.
“I was trying to go to practice with one leg working,” he recalled.
His coach, however, blew the whistle, saying, “I’m going to let you go. It’s just not your time.”
“I remember the feeling, the finality of it,” Killebrew said. “I knew that was the last time I was going to play football.”
The realization was crushing. Killebrew felt a sense of loss, both of identity and belonging.
“I was very depressed,” he said.
Killebrew had arrived at a crossroads, a place where athletes often find themselves when their careers come to an end.
He returned to California, back to catching waves.
“During the height of the Great Recession, I found myself taking a job at LA Fitness,” Killebrew recalled. “It was one of the few places hiring at the time.”
He had learned quite a bit about fitness as a high school and college athlete and had soaked up a lot from his coaches, trainers and teammates. Now, he was ready to dig in deeper.
“I immersed myself in every piece of literature on performance training,” Killebrew said.
What at first seemed like just a job, soon felt like a calling. Helping clients at the gym made him want to do even more to ensure their health.
“This is where my path is, where my strength lies,” he thought.
Next, Killebrew enrolled in the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, where he earned a doctorate in physical therapy.
He returned to the hospital as a full-fledged physical therapist, working on the orthopedic floor, helping patients after surgery.
“As soon as they woke up from surgery, I was the first person they saw,” Killebrew said.
He would encourage them to start moving as soon as possible and move their recovery into high gear.
Then, in 2016, Killebrew connected with an old friend, Jeremy Hills, a former Longhorn running back.
“His brother was actually my roommate in college,” Killebrew recalled.
Hills was working as a personal trainer, and Killebrew told him, “I want to work with you.”
When Hills said no paid positions were available, Killebrew was undeterred. He offered to work pro bono to build up experience in physical therapy.
The two ended up working together for three years. Killebrew also worked at Austin Physical Therapy, started by former Texas Longhorns trainer Cullen Nigrini.
Last year, Killebrew decided to come back to Houston and found a job at FYZICAL Klein.
FYZICAL is a physical therapy and wellness company with more than 525 locations across the U.S. The organization follows a holistic approach and focuses on orthopedics, sports medicine and neurological rehabilitation.
He started his post with the company in November, before the location’s soft opening in December.
“As a therapist, it’s my job to create the environment for my clients to thrive, to unlock their potential,” Killebrew said. “I believe you can be the best version of yourself, even when you don’t. I still do.”
His competitive nature, formerly on the football field, now drives him to maximize his patients’ recovery.
“I continue to read, to learn, to observe,” he said. “I take that information and apply it to my patients.”
And he is certain that being on this side — coaching athletes and other patients on how to regain their strength and health — is exactly where he’s meant to be.
“I don’t think there’s another profession I could see myself in,” he said. “I’m in the right place.”
Former Longhorn football player now helps athletes as Klein physical therapy clinical director
For Robert Killebrew, the key to effective physical therapy is trust. Patients have to believe in the program and know that their therapist is leading them in the right direction.
“Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care,” he says. It has been his guiding principle throughout his physical therapy career.
Killebrew, 39, serves as clinical director of FYZICAL Klein, having returned last year to the community where he was once a high school football star. He now helps athletes of all ages, in addition to guiding patients recovering from injuries or dealing with chronic pain.
“Everybody, from the neighborhood champion to the professional star, deserves personalized care and unwavering support,” Killebrew said.
Latrell McCutchin is one example. The 21-year-old defensive back for the University of Houston was Killebrew’s patient back in Austin a few years ago.
McCutchin was in his sophomore year of high school when he tore his ACL, a crucial ligament in the knee joint. He was told it would take nine months to a year to recover.
“I ended up being cleared after seven and a half months,” McCutchin said. “I give it all to Robert. He pushed me day in and day out. He made sure I was back to doing what I wanted to do.”
McCutchin has recommended friends to Killebrew, especially now that they are in the same city.
“I was excited to go to rehab and do better," McCutchin said. "I had 100% trust in him.”
McCutchin knew that Killebrew had firsthand experience.
Killebrew knows what it takes to be an athlete, both at the high school and college level. He knows the importance of striving for improvement and how to succeed in the face of multiple challenges.
When faced with an injury, Killebrew proved that he could persevere.
“You always want to be around someone who’s been where you are — and who’s been where you want to go,” McCutchin said.
Finding his way to football
Killebrew actually came to football late. The California native’s family moved to Houston when he was in the third grade, following his father Gary Killebrew’s career.Growing up, Killebrew was more interested in riding bikes, swimming, skateboarding and climbing trees than perfecting his spiral.
By the time he decided to try football in the seventh grade, most of his peers had been honing their skills for years.
He didn’t really know the ins and outs of the game, and he didn’t much like the sport. “Not even a little bit,” he laughed. “I was standing on the sidelines the whole time. It was boring.”
Killebrew was on the C team, but that only challenged him to try harder. “My mom raised no quitter,” he said.
Being a bit behind was an advantage, Killebrew decided. “It propelled me,” he said. “I was always working.”
His high school coach told him, “You never know how good you are. So you always try to get better.”
Besides, all of Killebrew’s friends were on the A team. He soon realized that by training harder, he could join their ranks, which he did by his sophomore year.
“Everything kind of clicked,” he recalled.
The following year, Killebrew was offered his first athletic scholarship, from the University of Oklahoma. Then came another from the University of Florida. The University of California, Los Angeles followed.
Killebrew would end up receiving 30 offers for full scholarships. He was ranked as the eighth best linebacker in the country; in some surveys, he was fifth.
Wanting to stay close to family, after graduating from Klein High School in 2003, Killebrew headed to the University of Texas at Austin, where he would become the outside linebacker for the Longhorns.
“I was surrounded by the best,” he recalled.
He was impressed by the work ethic of his teammates. “ It truly embodied the idea that hard work beats talent, when talent doesn't work hard — and that everyone has a part and is key to the success of the whole,” he said.
He was part of the team, as they clinched a victory in the 2005 Rose Bowl and the 2006 NCAA National Championship.
At the same time, he immersed himself in his studies, majoring in kinesiology and minoring in business. He considered it his plan B, assuming his future would lie in the pros.
But it wasn’t in the cards.
Arriving at a crossroads
After graduating from UT in 2007, Killebrew went out for the Chicago Bears, Seattle Seahawks and the Houston Texans, but never made those teams.He took a break, went to California and became a self-described surf bum for a while. He found a job in construction and later, a substitute teacher.
Finally, his agent alerted him to an opportunity in Canada, with the Calgary Stampeders. He packed his bags and headed north.
But after only a few weeks of training, he heard a pop and felt his hamstring balling up.
“I was trying to go to practice with one leg working,” he recalled.
His coach, however, blew the whistle, saying, “I’m going to let you go. It’s just not your time.”
“I remember the feeling, the finality of it,” Killebrew said. “I knew that was the last time I was going to play football.”
The realization was crushing. Killebrew felt a sense of loss, both of identity and belonging.
“I was very depressed,” he said.
Killebrew had arrived at a crossroads, a place where athletes often find themselves when their careers come to an end.
He returned to California, back to catching waves.
“During the height of the Great Recession, I found myself taking a job at LA Fitness,” Killebrew recalled. “It was one of the few places hiring at the time.”
He had learned quite a bit about fitness as a high school and college athlete and had soaked up a lot from his coaches, trainers and teammates. Now, he was ready to dig in deeper.
“I immersed myself in every piece of literature on performance training,” Killebrew said.
What at first seemed like just a job, soon felt like a calling. Helping clients at the gym made him want to do even more to ensure their health.
“This is where my path is, where my strength lies,” he thought.
Forging ahead to a new passion
Killebrew headed back to Texas, this time enrolling at Austin Community College, where he took all the prerequisites to study physical therapy. He also worked at Seton Medical Center in Austin as a physical therapy tech.Next, Killebrew enrolled in the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, where he earned a doctorate in physical therapy.
He returned to the hospital as a full-fledged physical therapist, working on the orthopedic floor, helping patients after surgery.
“As soon as they woke up from surgery, I was the first person they saw,” Killebrew said.
He would encourage them to start moving as soon as possible and move their recovery into high gear.
Then, in 2016, Killebrew connected with an old friend, Jeremy Hills, a former Longhorn running back.
“His brother was actually my roommate in college,” Killebrew recalled.
Hills was working as a personal trainer, and Killebrew told him, “I want to work with you.”
When Hills said no paid positions were available, Killebrew was undeterred. He offered to work pro bono to build up experience in physical therapy.
The two ended up working together for three years. Killebrew also worked at Austin Physical Therapy, started by former Texas Longhorns trainer Cullen Nigrini.
Last year, Killebrew decided to come back to Houston and found a job at FYZICAL Klein.
FYZICAL is a physical therapy and wellness company with more than 525 locations across the U.S. The organization follows a holistic approach and focuses on orthopedics, sports medicine and neurological rehabilitation.
He started his post with the company in November, before the location’s soft opening in December.
“As a therapist, it’s my job to create the environment for my clients to thrive, to unlock their potential,” Killebrew said. “I believe you can be the best version of yourself, even when you don’t. I still do.”
His competitive nature, formerly on the football field, now drives him to maximize his patients’ recovery.
“I continue to read, to learn, to observe,” he said. “I take that information and apply it to my patients.”
And he is certain that being on this side — coaching athletes and other patients on how to regain their strength and health — is exactly where he’s meant to be.
“I don’t think there’s another profession I could see myself in,” he said. “I’m in the right place.”
