Regis Doctor of Physical Therapy student Brandon Johnson treats Denver Nuggets during successful season

With a successful regular season in the books, the Denver Nuggets have been blazing a trail through the playoffs — and Regis Doctor of Physical Therapy student Brandon Johnson has had a front row seat to the action for the past 13 weeks.

Johnson, who graduates from the DPT program Saturday, recently finished an internship with the Nuggets' physical therapy team. He said the experience has helped inform his goal to work with professional athletes.

“As I've progressed more in this field, I started to pick my path and knew that I was developing a passion for working with high performing athletes,” Johnson said. “So, when this opportunity was presented … I jumped on it immediately.”

During the internship, Johnson worked daily in the training room with the team, learning from the team’s head physical therapist about his treatment philosophy and career path. He traveled with the team to several away games and worked with the athletes at every home game. 

Johnson couldn’t have picked a better season to work with the Nuggets. Seeded first in the Western Conference, the team won its first conference title in franchise history this year and is now on the hunt for its first NBA championship.

Johnson said that while it’s easy to lionize professional athletes as super-human, it’s important as a care provider to remember that they’re still human — and require the same treatments as other patients.

“The anatomy is the same, the impairments are still the same, you still have to consider the psychological factors of the patient that's in front of you,” he said. “You just really have to move, as with every patient, to meet them where they are, (and) understand what they've gone through in the past.”

Johnson’s internship was just the last step in a series of clinical experiences that took him to Hawaii and Italy, where he did his initial rotations.

Johnson said his time at Regis has been filled with experiences that have shaped his outlook as a physical therapist. He volunteered with the Porter-Billups Leadership Academy, Regis’ summer program for disadvantaged Denver kids, an experience that helped introduce children to the possibility of following the physical therapy path. At Regis, Johnson also served as the class of 2023 student body president, on the Student Graduate Council the School of Physical Therapy Advisory Board and the Alpha Sigma Nu Honor Society.

Before coming to Regis, Johnson earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Applied Kinesiology and Physiology at the University of Florida. As he wraps up his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at Regis, he said his experience with the Nuggets topped off a well-rounded education.

“I’m just really grateful for that experience because it opened my eyes to where I could potentially see myself in the next five to 10 years,” he said.