New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara is shouting out a University of the Pacific alumnus for keeping him in playing shape. Jose “JT” Tienda ’14 is a physical therapist who works with athletes from the New Orleans Saints, New York Giants and the Las Vegas Raiders.

“Without JT, I could honestly say it would be hard for me to make it through a season,” said Kamara. “His attention to detail and innovation when it comes to taking care of the body is something I’ve never seen before. The hours we spend treating during the week 100% have an impact on my performance week in and week out.”

In October, Kamara came to Tienda with a broken hand during a Monday night game. Tienda believed that with the right care, Kamara could recover enough to be game-ready by that Sunday. After a week of focused treatment with Tienda, Kamara was cleared to play.

Tienda shared his thoughts on his time at Pacific, his career and offered advice for anyone wanting to break into the field.

How long have you been in the sports medicine field?

I did an internship with the Raiders for seven years, and then I met the chiropractor from the team who told me I’d make a great chiropractor.

I've been doing it for over 10 years now. I hold a Doctor of Chiropractic and I have my Master's in Exercise Science. Before that, I earned a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Pacific, so I do it all.

How did you know that you wanted to get into the sports medicine field in the first place?

I did the Marine Corps for over five years, and when I got out, I just couldn't find the same comradery, brotherhood and excitement I had.

I went into personal training, and I kind of found that as something I really liked, but it wasn't enough. Once I figured out that I could actually make a career off of sports medicine, that was it. School was challenging, but I was able to help individuals and have a deeper connection and depth with the education piece, and that's how it's kind of just took off.

How do you find the best way to build rapport with your clients?

I think it's learning how to listen to them, because by the time they get to me, they've usually tried different people or approaches. I just talk to them at their level, I don't have to talk all the medical lingo, I really break down what I think I found as a problem and show them. Then it comes down to treating them properly and paying that extra attention to them. If they need a three-hour treatment, I'm going to do a three-hour treatment. I'm not just going to do a 45-minute treatment to get them out the door.

You also have to treat them like anybody else. I never asked for autographs, and I've never asked for jerseys or anything like that. There has to be equal respect.

What advice would you have for students who might want to break into the same career path that you had?

First, build a social media presence. Build a platform. No one is going to push your name out like yourself. It's like your business card, and I think it's one of the best tools to have. Surround yourself with people that think like you and just want to get better.