As part of the Rams' celebration of Black History Month, the organization is highlighting the diverse and meaningful ways Black staff move our team forward on and off the field.

Up next is Director of Sports Medicine Byron Cunningham.

The son of two parents who were born in Mobile, Alabama, during the Jim Crow and Civil Rights eras, the continued guidance Byron Cunningham receives from them still motivates him to this day.

"There were opportunities that they never had growing up, and they never used that as an excuse to educate themselves, and the sacrifices they made to make sure they gave my brother and I the education, discipline, and tools for us to be successful," Cunningham said. "Now having two children of my own, it is my responsibility to make sure I pass along those same values my parents taught me, so I'm motivated as soon as I wake up every morning."

One of the other ways Cunningham shares those values is through his job with the Rams as Director of Sports Medicine.

His primary role is to oversee and administer the care, prevention, evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries. Cunningham has been with the organization for 15 years, and in that time, he has notably helped former Rams running back Todd Gurley II return to form, wide receiver Cooper Kupp return from his 2018 ACL injury, and former Rams running back Cam Akers make his record return from a torn Achilles for the 2021 season, which helped propel Los Angeles' run to Super Bowl LVI. More recently, he was responsible for tight end Tyler Higbee's rehab from a torn ACL, MCL and meniscus sustained in the Rams' Wild Card playoff game against the Lions.

"(The best part of my job is) being a servant leader, a caregiver, and getting to know the human side of the players I work with," Cunningham said.

Following the 2023 season, he was named NFC recipient of the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society's (PFATS) 2024 Tim Davey Assistant Athletic Trainer of the Year award. Named after longtime New York Jets assistant athletic trainer and team operations employee and NFL game operations employee Tim Davey, who passed away in 2010, the award is "emblematic of the commitment, dedication and high level of integrity that Tim Davey brought to the profession of athletic training and is representative of his level of service which he dedicated to his surrounding community," according to the PFATS website. PFATS membership nominates the recipient, who is then chosen by a committee including past recipients.

"I am forever grateful for this distinction and honor because one of the biggest achievements a person can receive is being a recipient of an award voted on by your peers throughout the NFL," Cunningham said. "I felt so much gratitude that people recognize the hard work and dedication that I have put into my craft."

Countless individuals have helped Cunningham in his career, so it's tough for him to name just one person. For him, it's more about consistent values.

"It is almost unfair to single out one person that's helped me the most in my career because so many people have been an integral part of my success," Cunningham said. "But what I have learned the most throughout my career is your character matters; being trustworthy matters; being a good person matters."

Along those lines, Cunningham defines Inspire Change as "making a tangible impact at giving opportunity to individuals from underserved communities, particularly communities of color."

"I have seen first-hand how the Rams have been a part of the NFL Diversity in Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative to inspire medical students from diverse backgrounds to consider sports medicine careers by allowing them to complete a clinical rotation with our medical staff, with the goal to help increase diversity in NFL club medical staffs," Cunningham said.

Because Black History is American History, Cunningham said that Black History Month should be celebrated through "education, reflection, and elevation of the contributions of African Americans in all sectors: academics, science, medicine, engineering, sports, and arts."

For Cunningham, the arts – more specifically, learning how to play an instrument – is one of the ways he expresses himself creatively.

"I discovered during the COVID-19 pandemic that I needed a hobby, so I wanted to explore something different outside of sports," Cunningham said. "I always had a deep desire to learn how to play an instrument. Ultimately, I decided to independently teach myself how to play the bongos and timbales (which I continue to be a work I progress). It's allowed me to maintain a balanced lifestyle and open up my imagination."