Like father, like son.
Dr. Chris Leslie joined his father, Dr. James T. Leslie, in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, as the former was inducted Sunday at the Capitol Plaza Hotel.
"It's a huge honor to be inducted into the Hall, but to actually have that shared experience with my dad is once in a lifetime," Dr. Chris Leslie said. "I'm absolutely thrilled about it and honored to not only follow the same career as he did, but to be inducted into the Hall with him is a huge honor."
Chris Leslie is a graduate of Jefferson City High School. He was a four-year letterman on the swim team at Southern Methodist before attending the Kirksville College of Osteopathy.
Leslie has served as the team physician for the Camdenton R-III school district for the past 23 years, where he provides on-field care for the school's athletes and offered preventative care in the offseason.
"It's so unique because I came from this town with this incredible tradition, basically a dynasty, and then I go start my sports medicine career and walk into another football dynasty with another Hall of Fame coach (Bob Shore)," Leslie said. "It was really just a déjà vu experience for me."
He also owns an orthopedic surgery practice in the Lake of the Ozarks, where he specializes in sports medicine and total joint replacement arthroplasty.
Describing his father as his "giant," Leslie credits him for the success he has found in his illustrious career.
"Dad was coach (Pete) Adkins' team doctor for over 40 years, and so he started taking me to the games when I was 8 years old," Chris Leslie said. "So I'd sit on the sideline and watch that and I said, "That's what I want to do.' It was a no-brainer. I made the decision early on. This is the path I'm going to take."
Leslie also is in private practice at Leslie Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Camdenton, where he treats athletes locally and nationally. He's been named to Beckett Orthopedics' Top 25 Knee Surgeons in America.
"I've had the good fortune to be able to design two different knee and two different hip implants and bring them to market for orthopedics," Leslie said. "That's probably what I'm most proud of."
Now Leslie joins a distinguished group of Missouri sports icons.
"I'm looking up and down the table, and these are true sports legends in the state of Missouri," he said. "I'm very lucky to be sitting next to Pete (Adkins) tonight. These guys always have great stories."