Cruz Romero begins his second season with the Trail Blazers as the team’s Physical Therapist/ Sports Scientist in 2022-23. Before arriving in Portland, Romero spent the previous four years working at EXOS, a renowned human performance company headquartered in Phoenix, AZ. During his tenure, he held a PT manager role and was involved in the care of professional athletes from all the major sports leagues, Olympic athletes and various international athletes. He holds board certifications in Sports and Orthopedics under the American Physical Therapy Association, in addition to certifications in orthopedic manual therapy, XPS, systemic dry needling, and strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS). A native of Phoenix, Romero received his B.S. in Exercise Science with dual minors in chemistry and psychology from Northern Arizona University and completed his Doctorate of Physical Therapy at Northern Arizona University.