VCU news

By Carrie Carroll

Former Washington Redskins standout Tim Hightower often starts his day at 7 a.m. on a stationary bike at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Sports Medicine Clinic. There, as part of his recovery from surgery to repair an injured anterior cruciate ligament, Hightower spends several mornings a week with VCU physical therapists Rebecca Moran, D.P.T., and Ashley Harwood, D.P.T.

After Hightower warms up on the bike, Moran challenges him with a series of strength, balance and range-of-motion exercises for an hour-and-a-half, followed by a half-hour of intense stretching. This is typical of the comprehensive rehabilitation plan he has followed with Moran and Harwood since May 2014.

Hightower, a running back, suffered his ACL tear with the Redskins in a 2011 game against the Carolina Panthers. He was in his fourth season in the NFL and had rushed for 736 yards the season before with the Arizona Cardinals. At the time of his injury, he had rushed for 321 yards in just five games for the Redskins, putting him on an early pace to top 1,000 yards.

Hightower had reparative surgery in November of that year and returned to play for the Redskins in the fall of 2012. Upon his return, however, he discovered he was not at full strength and subsequently experienced a series of physical setbacks. His ailing knee required a second surgery, and Mark Willis, M.D., associate professor and director of orthopaedic trauma at VCU Medical Center, handled the procedure.

Following surgery, Hightower met with Thomas Loughran, M.D., medical director at VCU Sports Medicine Clinic, who referred him to the VCU physical therapy team. Since then, Hightower has been committed to his physical therapy sessions with Moran to rehabilitate his knee and get his body back into the excellent shape necessary to return to the NFL and the game he loves.

Injuries are both mental and physical. Physical therapy gives you the training your body needs to physically get back to pre-injury form, but also gives you the mental confidence to believe that you can compete again at a high level.

“Physical therapy is a key component in the recovery process,” Hightower said. “Injuries are both mental and physical. Physical therapy gives you the training your body needs to physically get back to pre-injury form, but also gives you the mental confidence to believe that you can compete again at a high level.”

Hightower works closely with Moran, who developed unique therapy exercises for his high-level needs. “In the beginning, we had to get his range-of-motion back,” Moran said. “He was limited, he couldn’t get his leg straight and he was told he would never get it completely straight.

“We knew that was a priority and so for months we just worked on getting his leg straight and then getting it to bend so that the left leg equaled the right. We accomplished that goal and he now has full extension and full flexion. We then moved on to strengthening, balancing and jumping exercises. We’re now finally to the point where we’re just fine-tuning. He can now consistently jump 53.5 inches high and his goal is to reach 60.”

That fine-tuning included help from the VCU Run Lab and D.S. Blaise Williams III, Ph.D., the director of the lab. Williams specializes in three-dimensional biomechanics as it relates to injury and recovery from running and landing injuries. The lab ran various tests on Hightower, including the VO2 max and 3-D running and vertical jump analysis.

The VO2 max is a running test that measures how much oxygen your body can utilize. It’s the “gold-standard” measurement of fitness. The more oxygen your body uses, the better “machine” or athlete you are. According to Moran, Hightower did incredibly well on this test and is in excellent shape.

During the 3-D running and vertical jump analysis, the 3-D cameras captured targeted data, such as what his knee does the second his foot hits the ground when he runs and the ground reaction force when he jumps.

We’ve got three more months before he leaves to join the Saints and he will be in the best possible shape he can be because of this data from the VCU Run Lab.

“We’re working on things that normally you wouldn’t work on in a session because we have this lab on campus that a lot of places don’t have,” Moran said. “At this point we’re working on deficits that the naked eye cannot see. We’ve got three more months before he leaves to join the Saints and he will be in the best possible shape he can be because of this data from the VCU Run Lab. These are things that as a therapist I wouldn’t have known to work on because you can’t see them.”

Hightower said Moran has proved to be an excellent guide through the many demands of the rehabilitation process.

“Rebecca has been a tremendous blessing on my path of recovery,” Hightower said. “She’s very passionate about what she does. I related my goals to her and she was determined to help me accomplish them. She’s willing to think outside the box when necessary to achieve the desired results. I appreciate that.

“My injury was complex and I knew I needed someone who was willing to do what it took to help me get back on my feet. Rebecca is great with building relationships and coming up with an individual plan to help achieve a goal.”

Hightower rewrote the school record books during his years as a running back at the University of Richmond from 2004 to 2007. He set school rushing records for a single game (295 yards), a season (1,924 yards) and a career (3,712 yards). He also broke the school career touchdown record with 39. Following his storied college career, Hightower was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

He was in Richmond with his family and friends for the draft. As his name went across the television screen, cheers erupted in the restaurant where they were watching.

“The draft is one of the most exciting times for a young athlete,” said Hightower. “You get a chance to be with the people who have watched you grow throughout the years and listen to hear your name called hoping that all the hard work has paid off and your life will soon change. “

The transition from college student to professional athlete was a big change for Hightower. “Once you’re drafted, you’re now expected overnight to be a professional. You’re expected to know how to handle finances, hire agents, advisers and attorneys, manage bills, along with dealing with media and team expectations. The football transition comes more naturally.”

He played for the Cardinals from 2008 to 2010. In his rookie year, he scored 10 touchdowns and was a key cog for a team that won the NFC championship and secured a spot in Super Bowl XLIII, which the Cardinals lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23.

“Playing in the Super Bowl my first year was an amazing experience,” Hightower said. “I think the biggest part of it was media day. There are reporters and fans from all over the world watching your every move every day. You can feel how special it is.”

Hightower’s recent hard work at VCU has him in position  to make a return to the NFL and compete for a chance to play in the Super Bowl once again. He signed with the New Orleans Saints this January and will report to offseason workouts in the beginning of April. Until then he will continue his high-level workouts with Moran and the VCU Run Lab. Despite the gains he has made so far, Hightower said, “there’s still a lot of work to do.”

 

Feature image at top: Performing a plank, which is a balance and core conditioning exercise.

 

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