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The ACL Athlete Podcast

Ravi Patel
The ACL Athlete Podcast
Latest episode

295 episodes

  • The ACL Athlete Podcast

    295 | Two NFL Players, Two Very Different Paths Back From ACL Surgery

    24/09/2026 | 21 mins.
    In this episode we look at two NFL quarterbacks, two knees, and one label stamped on both of them. One walked out under the lights on Monday night in week one. The other is still on the sideline answering questions at a podium, and the comment sections have already decided what his wait says about him. Same league, same headline, and timelines that could not look more different. Then he said something to a reporter that we rarely hear from a pro, and it changed how we read the entire situation. What was actually in that answer, and what does it mean for the athlete at home counting months?
    https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/falcons_michael_penix_jr_explains_why_his_recovery_is_different_than_patrick_mahomes/s1_13132_44314080
    _________
    Want a clear plan for your ACL rehab?

    1 on 1 Remote ACL Coaching is for ACLers who are tired of guessing. Objective testing so you know you are actually ready, a custom + structured program built around your goals, and an expert ACL coach in your corner from anywhere in the world. You will always know where you are, where you are going, and what to do next.

    Start with a free consult call: www.theaclathlete.com/coaching
    _________

    Free weekly newsletter
    The ACL Athlete VALUE Newsletter. ACL advice, go-to exercises, research breakdowns, and the frameworks we use.

    _________

    More from The ACL Athlete
    Website: www.theaclathlete.com
    Submit a topic or question for a future podcast episode
    Instagram: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt
    Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com
  • The ACL Athlete Podcast

    294 | The Collateral Damage Consideration of Going Nonoperative in ACL Rehab

    17/09/2026 | 23 mins.
    In this episode we follow one athlete who had done everything right in recovery. Strong knee, no giving way, nothing to suggest a problem, until one ordinary moment on a wet pool deck changed the outcome entirely. We get into why that single moment carried more risk than anyone had prepared her for, and what it reveals about a decision so many ACL athletes face at some point in their recovery. If you are weighing that same decision right now, or you already made it months ago, we think you will want to know what is often not mentioned about what you are actually risking before you ever find yourself in a moment like hers.
    _________
    Want a clear plan for your ACL rehab?

    1 on 1 Remote ACL Coaching is for ACLers who are tired of guessing. Objective testing so you know you are actually ready, a custom + structured program built around your goals, and an expert ACL coach in your corner from anywhere in the world. You will always know where you are, where you are going, and what to do next.

    Start with a free consult call: www.theaclathlete.com/coaching
    _________

    Free weekly newsletter
    The ACL Athlete VALUE Newsletter. ACL advice, go-to exercises, research breakdowns, and the frameworks we use.

    _________

    More from The ACL Athlete
    Website: www.theaclathlete.com
    Submit a topic or question for a future podcast episode
    Instagram: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt
    Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com
  • The ACL Athlete Podcast

    293 | The Comparison Trap Every ACL Athlete Falls Into

    10/09/2026 | 40 mins.
    In this episode, we get into something that quietly shapes how almost every ACL athlete feels on any given day, even when their knee is doing exactly what it is supposed to do. It is not a workout, a graft type, or a timeline. It is something most people never notice is happening until it already has. We talk about where this actually comes from, why it hits some people harder than others, and why two people going through the exact same recovery can end up feeling completely opposite about it. So what is actually driving how you feel about your own progress right now?
    _________
    Want a clear plan for your ACL rehab?

    1 on 1 Remote ACL Coaching is for ACLers who are tired of guessing. Objective testing so you know you are actually ready, a custom + structured program built around your goals, and an expert ACL coach in your corner from anywhere in the world. You will always know where you are, where you are going, and what to do next.

    Start with a free consult call: www.theaclathlete.com/coaching
    _________

    Free weekly newsletter
    The ACL Athlete VALUE Newsletter. ACL advice, go-to exercises, research breakdowns, and the frameworks we use.

    _________

    More from The ACL Athlete
    Website: www.theaclathlete.com
    Submit a topic or question for a future podcast episode
    Instagram: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt
    Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com
  • The ACL Athlete Podcast

    292 | The One Skill That Separates Good ACL PTs From Great Ones

    03/09/2026 | 35 mins.
    In this episode, we go back to a mistake made early in a career, one that quietly cost someone months they never got back. We talk about the feeling that creeps in during recovery long before anyone has words for it, and why so many people are trained to explain it away instead of trust it. We get into what it actually takes to catch a problem before it turns into a much bigger one, and why simply seeing a lot of cases is not the same thing as being good at spotting what matters. If you have ever had a nagging sense that something about your recovery was off, or wondered what actually separates a provider who catches things early from one who doesn't, stick around. By the end, you will understand why that mistake still shapes how an entire team runs their meetings every single week and a huge skillset that is vital for a great ACL PT.
    _________
    Want a clear plan for your ACL rehab?

    1 on 1 Remote ACL Coaching is for ACLers who are tired of guessing. Objective testing so you know you are actually ready, a custom + structured program built around your goals, and an expert ACL coach in your corner from anywhere in the world. You will always know where you are, where you are going, and what to do next.

    Start with a free consult call: www.theaclathlete.com/coaching
    _________

    Free weekly newsletter
    The ACL Athlete VALUE Newsletter. ACL advice, go-to exercises, research breakdowns, and the frameworks we use.

    _________

    More from The ACL Athlete
    Website: www.theaclathlete.com
    Submit a topic or question for a future podcast episode
    Instagram: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt
    Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com
  • The ACL Athlete Podcast

    291 | Twenty ACL Athletes Later, Complicated Might Be Normal In ACL Rehab

    27/08/2026 | 39 mins.
    In this episode, we open up our actual caseload and walk you through what a normal week of ACL rehab really looks like behind the scenes and the variety of cases we're working with. Not the highlight reel version, not the forum version, just real athletes navigating real complications most people never hear about until they are already living through one themselves. Some of these stories will sound nothing like what you pictured when you first got hurt, and that is exactly the point. So if your own recovery has felt messier than the semi-linear process you might have been expecting, we want you sitting with one question by the end of this. Are you actually "behind", or has nobody just told you the truth about what normal looks like yet for your particular case?
    _________
    Want a clear plan for your ACL rehab?

    1 on 1 Remote ACL Coaching is for ACLers who are tired of guessing. Objective testing so you know you are actually ready, a custom + structured program built around your goals, and an expert ACL coach in your corner from anywhere in the world. You will always know where you are, where you are going, and what to do next.

    Start with a free consult call: www.theaclathlete.com/coaching
    _________

    Free weekly newsletter
    The ACL Athlete VALUE Newsletter. ACL advice, go-to exercises, research breakdowns, and the frameworks we use.

    _________

    More from The ACL Athlete
    Website: www.theaclathlete.com
    Submit a topic or question for a future podcast episode
    Instagram: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt
    Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com
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About The ACL Athlete Podcast
The ACL Athlete Podcast brings you everything you need to know about ACL injuries. This podcast creates discussion around the ACL injury itself, research, rehab, performance, return to sport, mindset, you name it. I'm your host, Dr. Ravi Patel, Performance Physical Therapist, Coach, and 2x ACL athlete. I invite you to join me as we explore insights, expertise, personal stories, and experiences - from the athlete to the healthcare professional to the coach, so that we, together, can raise the standard of care and revolutionize the field of ACL injuries and rehab.
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