Texas Rio Grande Valley Athletics

Dr. George J. Davies was named to the role of Rehabilitation Specialist in the summer of 2025 . Davies is an internationally known speaker who has presented hundreds of conferences throughout the world on sports physical therapy, athletic training, shoulder, knee, orthopedics, rehabilitation and Isokinetics. Davies is a clinician, educator, speaker, researcher, author, editor, and consultant. He has been involved in the clinical practice of sports physical therapy/athletic training, since he started as a student athletic trainer over 60 years ago. 

Davies was the original co-founder and co-editor of The Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy for approximately 10 years starting in 1979 ; Co-Founder and Co-Editor of Isokinetics and Exercise Science (1991-1996); and one of the founders and original Associate Editors for Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach (2009-present). 

Davies served as the President of the Sports Physical Therapy Section – APTA from 1992-1998. He was the 1999 recipient of the Peyton Award to acknowledge and honor an outstanding member of the SPTS. It is the highest award offered by the Sports Physical Therapy Section for contributions to the sports physical therapy profession. Davies was the 1994 recipient of the American Physical Therapy Association's prestigious Baethke-Carlin Award for Excellence in Academic Teaching. Davies was selected as a Fellow-American Physical Therapy Association (FAPTA) in 2005. He also received the Hall of Fame Award - Sports Physical Therapy Section - APTA in 2006. He won the NATA President's Challenge Award for Outstanding Contributions to Sports Medicine in June 2007. He was also the recipient of the NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award in San Antonio in June 2009.

Davies was selected for the Distinguished Alumni Award from Columbia University in May 2012. He was the recipient of the Lifetime Education Achievement Award by the SPTS in January 2013. George was also honored as the first non-Orthopaedic Surgeon elected into the AOSSM – Hall of Fame; that is the highest honor offered by AOSSM, in July 2013. As a co-founder of JOSPT, an award has been named after him (George J. Davies-James A. Gould Excellence in Clinical Inquiry Award) at the 25th anniversary of JOSPT for the best clinical article published in the journal each year. Davies was honored by the Federal Section and awarded the Federal Section Award for Research at the APTA-CSM Meeting, in Boston in February 2024.   

Davies has authored textbooks, over 50 book chapters, published hundreds of articles, and has had hundreds of poster and platform presentations at various professional meetings: APTA, AASPT, AOSSM, NATA, ACSM, NSCA, ASSET, SOMOS, etc. His research publication H-Index is 44. 

Davies was one of the original Co-founders and Co-directors of the first publicly credentialed (by the ABPTS) Sports Physical Residency Programs in the U.S. at Gundersen Health Systems Sports Medicine over 28 years ago and continues to serve as a Consultant and Clinical Mentor. The program has 100% pass rates on the first exam for the Board Certification Sports Clinical Specialist (SCS). He has extensive sports medicine experiences working at high school games, university games, 4 Olympic Games (1980, Lake Placid, NY; 2002, Salt Lake City, UT; 2008, Beijing, China; 2012, London, UK) and as a consultant, athletic trainer, and physical therapist with the NFL New Orleans Saints (when they trained in LaCrosse, WI. for the summer training camps) for 12 years.

Davies has been an educator and taught in Physical Therapy programs for over 50 years and still maintains an active clinical practice, performs, presents, and publishes research, and provides various services to the University, community, and professional societies.

Through the Davies Family Educational Foundation, Davies has established Annual Scholarships at all the schools/Universities he attended, including: Middle Township High School, NJ, The college of New Jersey (BA, MEd), Columbia University (PT), and MGH-Institute of Health Professions (DPT)  The scholarships are for students interested in majoring in physical therapy, athletic training or sports medicine.

Davies is widowed, has 2 sons with MBAs, 3 grandchildren in graduate school and college, and 1 in middle school. 

Davies has also been an active athlete throughout his career participating in multiple sports in high school, captain of the gymnastics team in college, runner and sub-3-hour marathoner, ultra-marathoner, completed all lengths of triathlons including an iron-man, earned his Black Belt in karate and worked as a sensi for several years, and is a United States Marine Corps Veteran from over 56 years ago.