Football carries a reputation as the most dangerous high school sport — and the numbers back it up. During the 2018-2019 school year, football accounted for roughly one-third of all high school sports injuries, according to the National High School Sport-Related Injury Surveillance Study. While many injuries are minor, others can become serious without immediate, expert care. That’s where physical therapists like Elite Physical Therapy’s Marcus Walker, PT, DPT, OCS make a difference. Working alongside athletic trainers both on and off the field, Marcus provides acute treatment, ongoing care, and injury prevention that helps keep student-athletes safe in the game.
Building a Partnership
Although Elite Physical Therapy has served schools across Rapides Parish in central Louisiana for more than 20 years, the relationship they have now with Alexandria Senior High School began after a couple of their PTs, including Bart Jones, Elite Physical Therapy’s CEO, started to focus their attention on the school more. Wanting to switch up his daily routine, Marcus felt called to work with athletes, and with the established relationship between Elite Physical Therapy and Alexandria Senior High School, helping fellow PTs with their duties seemed like the perfect way to branch out. Marcus became involved on the sidelines of the football field in 2019 alongside Bart, but after gaining more experience, he’s been able to hold the fort down on his own since 2020.
Friday Night Lights
During football season, Marcus dedicates 4-5 hours a week to the team, mostly under the Friday night lights. On game days, he starts by checking in with athletes during warm-ups. After kickoff, Marcus is treating players with nagging injuries who are still in the game, while staying ready to help the athletic trainers with any that come up. The best nights? When everyone stays healthy, he can enjoy the game.
More Than a Job
To Marcus, working with the football team has never felt like a job; it’s a passion. He enjoys the chance to get to know the athletes between practices and games, and to learn what drives them. For the athletes who struggle more with injuries, he also finds it incredibly gratifying to see them bounce back and get back on the field.
Marcus doesn’t work alone. When he needs support, fellow PTs and PTAs from Elite Physical Therapy step in to help. Elite is also training interested Physical Therapists in emergency medical response through Evidence in Motion’s (EIM) Emergency Medical Response course.
Strong communication with coaches ensures each athlete receives timely, individual care. Marcus’s closest collaborator is Dr. William Crenshaw, an orthopedic surgeon in Alexandria, Louisiana. Together, they treat everything from ankle sprains and broken fingers to tears and shoulder dislocations.
