Former Idaho State University Middle Linebacker
1st Team All-American
1st team All-Conference
Buck Buchanan Award Finalist
“My Name is Mario Jenkins. I am from Tampa, Florida. About 3 years ago, I tore my ACL during Fall Football camp of 2014. It was an experience that I will never forget as it is still very vivid in my mind. I remember a loud “pop” l kept telling myself that it’s not my ACL but I had a gut feeling that it was. Unfortunately, I received the news that I did not want to hear, and so my introduction and journey with Blaire began. I began to start physical therapy with Blaire to have my knee get stronger and the swelling to go down before I went to get an MRI. A week had passed and I was able to find the results of my MRI. Sure enough, a complete tear in my ACL and other surrounding ligaments was what I was facing for recovery. I knew this process was going to be long and I had to start from the basics and rebuild myself again from scratch.
After the surgery to repair my torn ACL, I began rehab with Blaire. She told me from the get-go it wasn’t going to be easy and I knew it wasn’t. I was, however, determined to put in the work to come out a better athlete. Blaire pushed me every day and worked on improving my hip, quad, and hamstring strength back to where they needed to be. I began running on the treadmill in 3 months.
I believe that I was able to do this so quickly because, with Blaire’s encouragement and support, I was doing so many more workouts outside of physical therapy. I that this would benefit me overall. Clamshells will be something I will always tell my ACL patients as a result of Blair pushing me with doing them. One thing many people lack is hip strength. Blaire was able to get me back on the field and able to become a better athlete, I was bigger, faster, and stronger on and off the field. I call her the Prodigy of Rehab because she is that great. With Blaire’s pushing and encouragement, I was able to be back on the field and as a result, I was able to accomplish 1st team all- American 1st team All-Conference, and Buch Buchanan Award Finalist. I was also invited to be a part of the Kansas City Chiefs rookie mini-camp. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t thank her for all she did for me and my rehabilitation. Before every game, she was always giving me a hug rooting for me. Blaire was truly an inspiration and played a pivotal role in my success and comeback. “