Fireworks exploded overhead as more than 68,000 fans clad in black and gold shook the stands of Acrisure Stadium on a warm September Sunday afternoon for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ home opener. As the players sprinted out of the tunnel and onto the field, Blaine Aguiar ’18, DPT ’23, stood on the sidelines, taking it all in. This was a moment he had worked toward his whole life: to be a physical therapist for one of the top professional sports franchises in the world. Seven years after his own football career ended, Aguiar would spend the season helping some of the NFL’s top football stars recover from injuries and return to the field to help the Steelers win the AFC North and earn a playoff berth. This experience was the culmination of years of preparation and hard work to help others.
From The Gridiron to the Clinic
Originally from Atascadero, Aguiar played various sports throughout his childhood, but his favorite was always football, which he excelled at as a kicker and punter. In high school, he suffered a knee injury and had to start physical therapy before he could return to the field. One of the physical therapists he worked with was an alumnus of Azusa Pacific University and told Aguiar about the amazing experience he had there. Hearing this, Aguiar began to consider APU for college and was recruited by former special teams/strength and conditioning coach Gabe Higerd. “I got the opportunity to sit down with Coach Higerd and got a feel for what the campus was like. I immediately knew it was the right home for me,” Aguiar said. “I loved being around like-minded individuals working together to pursue a common goal. The lessons I learned from that coaching staff, a few of whom are coaching at APU again, really continue to drive a lot of who I strive to be.” A five-year member of the Cougar football squad, Aguiar contributed to the team that won two conference championships from 2014-18. He loved growing alongside his brothers on and off the field, taking in wisdom from sage coaches like Bo Beatty ’94, MAEd ’05 (now the assistant head coach of APU’s football team and head coach of APU’s newly launched women’s flag football squad). “Coach Beatty had simple but powerful mantras like ‘Love Jesus. Work Hard. Treat people right,’” Aguiar said.
Outside of the team, Aguiar grew in his knowledge and skills as a kinesiology major with an applied exercise science concentration. He began applying what he had learned at a local clinic, Elite Motion Physical Therapy, after his classes, and always stayed late just because he wanted to be there to help others. During Aguiar’s strength and conditioning program in APU’s Fitness Center, he got to know Dan Farwell, PT, DPT, an associate professor in APU’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program. Hearing Farwell’s story and the impact he had on so many people in their injury recovery, combined with his experience in the clinic, inspired Aguiar to pursue a DPT degree. “A lot of things he had done in his career were things I wanted to pursue, and he’s a mentor of mine to this day,” he said.
Aguiar would go on to interview with Farwell and associate professor Michael Wong, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, to get into APU’s DPT program. While Aguiar had done well in his undergraduate classes at APU, he wasn’t the most impressive candidate on paper, and didn’t get into the DPT program on his first application. Undeterred, he persisted, reapplied, and impressed Wong in his interview. “That’s one of the things that sets APU’s DPT program apart. Most schools don’t interview anymore, and if they had just looked at my transcripts, I probably wouldn’t have gotten in,” Aguiar said. “But I love that APU still interviews, and they took a chance on me as a student. APU as a community does that for people. They say, ‘You might not have checked every single box, but you as a person are going to succeed here.’ And I knew if I got the opportunity, I would prove to them that I could.” Aguiar was admitted to the program and immediately took advantage of every opportunity.
Equipped through Hustle and Internships
Aguiar’s physical therapy classes were challenging, but he loved every second, realizing that everything he learned would actually be used to help others in the future. His Professional Relationships class would help him work with all kinds of clients, talking them through their rehabilitation, while his Orthopedics class might give him the tools to help a grandmother learn how to walk again after breaking an ankle so she could play with her grandchildren. “As a PT, I play a large role in people’s lives,” Aguiar said. “I’m working with people recovering from surgeries that I might spend a year or more with, and I’m celebrating every small win along the way, which can really impact them.” To this day, Aguiar draws on both the foundational knowledge he gained in his anatomy and physiology classes and the skills he developed to foster clinical relationships that motivate his patients. “The easy part is telling them what to do in the clinic. The hard part is managing them as a person and motivating them when they feel like their bodies are never going to be able to move in the ways they used to,” Aguiar said.
These relationship-building skills proved vital across Aguiar’s four DPT internships. He began in acute rehab at Concerta in Arizona, adapting to treat recent stroke patients. After a second internship at Emenate, he returned to APU as a strength, conditioning, and athletic training intern. There, he learned team program design and the value of humility. “Doing the small daily tasks really well, not just at APU but during my time with the Steelers, was critical and allowed me to build trust with the veteran staff,” Aguiar noted. His final internship at the Coliseum at Casa Colina in Pomona pushed him further, exposing him to high school, collegiate, and professional athletes. “I spent a lot of time getting to know physicians and learned how they worked with their patients,” he said, calling the experience foundational. Four months later, Casa Colina hired him full-time, just a month before he crossed the APU commencement stage with bigger dreams on the horizon.
Excellence at the Highest Level
In spring 2024, Aguiar applied to residencies across the country. His DPT degree from APU and internships had prepared him well to work with elite athletes, and his accomplishments helped him land a sports physical therapy residency on the college-NFL track in Pittsburgh. In July 2024, he began working at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), followed quickly by his appointment as an adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (UPSHRS) in September 2024, and soon after, he began working with the Steelers in January 2025. For a year and a half, Aguiar balanced all three positions—working with college and professional athletes in their rehabilitation and teaching the next generation of PT leaders in the classroom. “It was incredibly challenging, but an opportunity I was blessed with, getting to know so many different sides of working in high-level sports,” Aguiar said.
During Fall 2024, Aguiar’s residency had him working with Carnegie Mellon University’s football team, tending to players twice a week, then being there at games on Saturdays. He would follow this up with long hours in the clinic, helping a variety of athletes out with their recovery, before heading to the classroom to teach. While the winter and spring months were a bit slower, Aguiar’s work accelerated dramatically in the summer for the Steelers’ OTAs (organized team activities) and training camp. The organization brought their players and staff to St. Vincent College, an hour outside of Pittsburgh, and Aguiar lived in the school’s dorms for three weeks during camp, where he was assigned to work with the team’s linebackers. Each morning, he would get up at 4 a.m. to get a workout in, be in the training room by 6 a.m., then help players and the coaching staff out with various tasks, including setting up and breaking down the field and making sure players were hydrated and taken care of all day until 8 p.m. “It was like that six days a week, and while the players would get the seventh day off, we were still working,” he said. “The experience was a bit of a fever dream, but I absolutely loved it.” After training camp, Aguiar continued working with the team during the regular season, helping out at every home game and three road games. During the week, he would assist players with their rehab, assess their recovery from injuries, and help them progress toward being game-ready again.
Impact: Remembering His “Why”
While Aguiar truly treasured his time with the Steelers, his experience at UPMC was just as impactful. The athletes he worked with at UPMC hadn’t reached the professional ranks yet, but Aguiar treated them with the same care and compassion that he did with the NFL linebackers he treated. On his last day at UPMC, he worked with a 15-year-old girl who had just torn her ACL for the second time in a calendar year while playing soccer. Aguiar reflected on his conversation with her, which reminded him why he had gotten into PT in the first place.
“The true ‘why’ of sports physical therapy isn't elite game days—it's impacting individual athletes through their toughest moments. While professional athletes have distinct physical advantages, young athletes face immense psychological hurdles, like a 15-year-old enduring a second ACL tear who just wants to feel normal. As a clinician, true guidance means having raw heart-to-hearts, navigating the ‘why me’ mindset, and celebrating small wins. Ultimately, a high schooler deserves the exact same energy, care, and empathy as an NFL player. Building those lasting human connections and helping athletes reclaim their dreams is what truly matters.”
It’s moments like these, or when Aguiar gets a card from an athlete he worked with or a text from one of their parents letting him know about how their kids are doing in their sport, that motivate Aguiar to continue in his work. The grueling days on the field and long days in the clinic are always worth it to help others in their rehabilitation and therapy.
In April, Aguiar wrapped up his time with the Steelers and the University of Pittsburgh and moved back to Southern California with his wife, Alisa. Aguiar began working as a physical therapist at Elite OrthoSport Physical Therapy and Performance in Santa Monica. While he’s not sure what the future holds, he’s thrilled with the opportunity to keep helping others, treating each patient with a Christ-centered love as they progress in their recovery.