INDIANAPOLIS -- Texans team doctor James E. Muntz was awarded with the Jerry "Hawk" Rhea award as an outstanding NFL team physician by the Profession Football Athletic Trainers Society during the NFLPS annual scientific meeting and symposium at the NFL scouting combine.
The award goes to the NFL team doctor who has made the greatest contributions to the NFL and athletic training.
“Dr. James Muntz embodies everything that is important to be an award-winning team physician," Texans director of sports performance planning and medical administration Geoff Kaplan said. "He is caring, loving, sympathetic, servant minded, accessible, funny and knowledgeable. What separates Jim for other people is his ability to connect with his patients and make them feel as though they are his only patient. Jim has always been a mainstay in the athletic training room and over the last 30-plus years has been a tremendous friend and supporter for the Houston Texans Athletic Training staff and all athletic trainers across the country."
Added Reggie Scott, the Los Angeles Rams' vice president of sports medicine and performance and president of the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society: "The Jerry “Hawk” Rhea Award, given to the NFL club physician of the year, is one of PFATS most honorable, coveted and prestigious awards we give out each year. NFL club physicians play such a critical role in our medical care for our athletes. To be able to highlight our team physicians yearly is just a small token of the dedication and hard work that we as athletic trainers get to be a part of. I couldn’t be more excited to honor Dr. James Muntz with this award as he exemplifies everything this award is about.
Muntz specializes in internal medicine and has 30-plus years of experience working with athletes. He is currently the head team internal medicine physician for the Texans, in addition to serving as a team physician for the Astros and the Rockets.
He received his undergraduate degree from Indiana University. He attended medical school at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.
Aaron Wilson is an NFL reporter and analyst for Pro Football Network. He is a contributor to Sports Talk 790.
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