The Unsung Hero: Tennessee's Athletic Trainer Chad Newman

“KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - He’s a former national Trainer of the Year and he loves his job; he’s Chad Newman. Tennessee’s athletic trainer loves to be with his family at UT.

“For me, everybody says ‘oh, you love the sport,’ but I really love the kids,” Newman said. “I mean, that’s what makes it happen. I mean, you change kids every year to some extent, or they stay the same. But you know, that’s that’s kind of what makes it fun.”

Tennessee fans will often hear announcers commending the trainer, who’s been doing his work for almost three decades. It’s a process that often goes unnoticed but is vital to the team’s success.

“I try to tailor everything around basketball,” he said. “I mean, you know, if a guy has to come back and shoot the ball, I don’t need someone to worry about this. I need to worry about that. It’s it’s kind of how you have to do it. I mean, we all have a blueprint that we go by. But the blueprint has to be adjustable because everybody’s different. And that’s the challenge and the fun of it all for me.”…”