University of Tennessee Athletics
Tennessee’s Dr. Chris Klenck Named SEC Team Physician of the Year
November 24, 2021 | General, Sports Medicine
Editor's Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified Klenck's honor as the SEC Athletic Orthopaedic Team Physician of the Year. His honor is not specific to orthopaedics.
KNOXVILLE – Tennessee Athletics' Head Team Physician Dr. Chris Klenck has been recognized as the 2022 SEC Team Physician of the Year, as voted on by the sports medicine staff at each school in the Southeastern Conference. He was recognized for excellence as a primary care M.D.
"It's a huge honor," Klenck said. "Across the conference, we all—and that's physicians and athletic trainers—we all work really hard and put in a lot of time and energy. To receive recognition for that, particularly from peers at other schools, is a huge honor for me. It is certainly one of the highlights of my career doing this."
Klenck will be recognized at the Southern Orthopaedic Association SEC Sports Medicine Meeting in Birmingham in May 2022. The award started in 2003 and is sponsored by the Southern Orthopedic Association. It includes a $1,000 award in the physician's name donated by DJO Global to the sports medicine department of the physician's university to be used toward funding for student assistant scholarships in the athletic training rooms.
"Dr. Klenck has been an incredible resource for our program," head football coach Josh Heupel said. "From helping guide us during the COVID-19 pandemic to his daily care of our student-athletes, he has devoted countless hours to our program. We are very fortunate to have someone of his caliber at Tennessee, and this is a well-deserved honor for him."
All coaches and student-athletes across Rocky Top feel the impact of Klenck's care, and for them, the award symbolizes what they have seen from him for many years.
"One thing we talk about with our student-athletes, whether currently on campus or potential student-athletes, is that we want to lead the way in all aspects of intercollegiate athletics, and for Dr. Klenck to win this award is another example of us doing everything we can to lead the way for future Volunteers' success," head women's tennis coach Alison Ojeda said. "What makes this really special is that his peers selected him for the award. It always says a lot when your peers think highly of you like that."
The annual SEC Team Physician of the Year honor is awarded to a primary care physician who is recognized for their dedication, commitment and service to their school's student-athletes and athletics department and is voted on by representatives from all 14 SEC schools. The award rotates annually between recognizing an orthopedic surgeon and a primary care M.D.
"It speaks not only to what I have done, but to what we as a department have done at UT with all of our athletic trainers and medical staff," Klenck said. "It's humbling to have that work noticed and appreciated."
Now in his 16th year at Tennessee, Klenck played a vital role in helping student-athletes return to play a year ago, and still is managing the COVID-19 pandemic in the intercollegiate athletic landscape. He serves as Tennessee's representative on the critically important SEC Return to Activity and Medical Guidance Task Force, which was formed in the spring of 2020 in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Its purpose is providing the guidance necessary to make decisions related to the return to athletics activities for SEC student-athletes and to assist in the SEC's collaboration with colleague conferences in supporting the safe and healthy conduct of athletics competition.
"It has been a rollercoaster of a year, and a huge learning experience," Klenck said of his time on the taskforce. "We had to think of how to keep people safe and healthy and navigate a pandemic, but still compete at the highest level. It has been rewarding for it to work out as well as it did. And as a conference, we've done a really good job of being able to compete and keep people as safe as we possibly can."
It's the experience of working with student-athletes that makes it all worth it for the Indiana native. Klenck cares for every individual that comes to Rocky Top and makes the safety of student-athletes paramount during their time as Vols and Lady Vols and beyond.
"It's such a special experience to work with these student-athletes, because you feel like you are part of their journey in terms of their goals and aspirations," Klenck said. "It's an honor to be a part of each person's individual journey and a team's goals."
Both the coaches and student-athletes greatly value and appreciate the countless hours he puts in—not only keeping student-athletes healthy, but being a resource whenever he is needed.
"Not a day goes by where he is not helping us in some form or fashion," Ojeda continued. "We've had countless situations come up over the past 24 months where I've had to call him on a weekend, after hours, from another country. He is always so helpful, he's got a family at home, but he always makes us feel like we are a priority. All of my student-athletes and the student-athletes' parents are so grateful for him and everything he does. Sixteen years of dedication and devotion to this department is incredible, and I would imagine he's got quite a few more years left in him."
KNOXVILLE – Tennessee Athletics' Head Team Physician Dr. Chris Klenck has been recognized as the 2022 SEC Team Physician of the Year, as voted on by the sports medicine staff at each school in the Southeastern Conference. He was recognized for excellence as a primary care M.D.
"It's a huge honor," Klenck said. "Across the conference, we all—and that's physicians and athletic trainers—we all work really hard and put in a lot of time and energy. To receive recognition for that, particularly from peers at other schools, is a huge honor for me. It is certainly one of the highlights of my career doing this."
Klenck will be recognized at the Southern Orthopaedic Association SEC Sports Medicine Meeting in Birmingham in May 2022. The award started in 2003 and is sponsored by the Southern Orthopedic Association. It includes a $1,000 award in the physician's name donated by DJO Global to the sports medicine department of the physician's university to be used toward funding for student assistant scholarships in the athletic training rooms.
"Dr. Klenck has been an incredible resource for our program," head football coach Josh Heupel said. "From helping guide us during the COVID-19 pandemic to his daily care of our student-athletes, he has devoted countless hours to our program. We are very fortunate to have someone of his caliber at Tennessee, and this is a well-deserved honor for him."
All coaches and student-athletes across Rocky Top feel the impact of Klenck's care, and for them, the award symbolizes what they have seen from him for many years.
"One thing we talk about with our student-athletes, whether currently on campus or potential student-athletes, is that we want to lead the way in all aspects of intercollegiate athletics, and for Dr. Klenck to win this award is another example of us doing everything we can to lead the way for future Volunteers' success," head women's tennis coach Alison Ojeda said. "What makes this really special is that his peers selected him for the award. It always says a lot when your peers think highly of you like that."
The annual SEC Team Physician of the Year honor is awarded to a primary care physician who is recognized for their dedication, commitment and service to their school's student-athletes and athletics department and is voted on by representatives from all 14 SEC schools. The award rotates annually between recognizing an orthopedic surgeon and a primary care M.D.
"It speaks not only to what I have done, but to what we as a department have done at UT with all of our athletic trainers and medical staff," Klenck said. "It's humbling to have that work noticed and appreciated."
Now in his 16th year at Tennessee, Klenck played a vital role in helping student-athletes return to play a year ago, and still is managing the COVID-19 pandemic in the intercollegiate athletic landscape. He serves as Tennessee's representative on the critically important SEC Return to Activity and Medical Guidance Task Force, which was formed in the spring of 2020 in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Its purpose is providing the guidance necessary to make decisions related to the return to athletics activities for SEC student-athletes and to assist in the SEC's collaboration with colleague conferences in supporting the safe and healthy conduct of athletics competition.
"It has been a rollercoaster of a year, and a huge learning experience," Klenck said of his time on the taskforce. "We had to think of how to keep people safe and healthy and navigate a pandemic, but still compete at the highest level. It has been rewarding for it to work out as well as it did. And as a conference, we've done a really good job of being able to compete and keep people as safe as we possibly can."
It's the experience of working with student-athletes that makes it all worth it for the Indiana native. Klenck cares for every individual that comes to Rocky Top and makes the safety of student-athletes paramount during their time as Vols and Lady Vols and beyond.
"It's such a special experience to work with these student-athletes, because you feel like you are part of their journey in terms of their goals and aspirations," Klenck said. "It's an honor to be a part of each person's individual journey and a team's goals."
Both the coaches and student-athletes greatly value and appreciate the countless hours he puts in—not only keeping student-athletes healthy, but being a resource whenever he is needed.
"Not a day goes by where he is not helping us in some form or fashion," Ojeda continued. "We've had countless situations come up over the past 24 months where I've had to call him on a weekend, after hours, from another country. He is always so helpful, he's got a family at home, but he always makes us feel like we are a priority. All of my student-athletes and the student-athletes' parents are so grateful for him and everything he does. Sixteen years of dedication and devotion to this department is incredible, and I would imagine he's got quite a few more years left in him."
So well deserved. Congrats Dr. Klenck! https://t.co/UuF7WOw82U
— Donde Plowman (@DondePlowman) November 25, 2021
Dr. Klenck is the best in the business! He was a huge blessing in my life. Words cannot describe how thankful I am for him. https://t.co/oZuRbqXRFc
— Trey Smith (@TreySmith73) November 24, 2021
Dr. Klenck is the best!!! Such a tremendous and deserving honor! We are blessed with an incredible medical staff to support our @Vol_Sports student-athletes #GBO https://t.co/dnWBYvDayf
— Karen Weekly (@KarenWeekly) November 24, 2021
One of a kind. Thanks for everything you do Doc🐐 https://t.co/7tBAsfyNPT
— Cade Mays (@cade_mays) November 24, 2021
Dr. Klenck is one of a kind and a Southern Indiana man!! Huge Congrats! https://t.co/FFLr42iDtF
— Hadley Walts (@WaltsHadley) November 24, 2021
Big Orange Rewind | September 21, 2025
Monday, September 22
The Mike Keith Show (Sept. 18, 2025)
Friday, September 19
Big Orange Rewind | September 14, 2025
Monday, September 15
The Mike Keith Show | S2: E3
Thursday, September 11
