Commitment to Personal Development

Athletic Training Program

Purdue University has a long and rich history in health care for student-athletes and in athletic training education. William E. “Pinky” Newell was a founding father of NATA and the Purdue athletic trainer from 1949 to 1976. His foresight and commitment to the athletic training profession and to Purdue student-athletes has placed Purdue University among the leaders in the care of student-athletes. Through Pinky’s leadership and dedication to the welfare of student-athletes, Purdue’s athletic training program has been established as one of the premier programs in the country.

Purdue University Sports Medicine utilizes on-site daily care by the athletic training staff and team physicians, as well as consultants in orthopedics, dentistry, ophthalmology, neurology, and other medical specialties in Greater Lafayette and Indianapolis. The reputation of Purdue’s athletic training education program reaches nationwide. Graduates of the program are head and assistant athletic trainers in the NFL, the NBA, the Big Ten, the PAC-10, as well as other conferences across the country. They serve in high schools and clinics in all parts of the United States.

The Purdue University Sports Medicine program is headed by Denny Miller. Miller was named director of sports medicine for the Purdue athletic training program in July of 2000, after a 24-year stint as head athletic trainer. Before that, he served four years as an assistant athletic trainer. Miller also is director of the Physical Therapy Department of the Purdue Student Health Center.

In 2002, Miller received the Diamond “P” Award, presented annually by the John Purdue Club for distinguished service and commitment to Purdue athletics. A certified member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, Miller joined the Purdue ranks in 1973, following completion of his postgraduate physical therapy curriculum at the University of Pennsylvania, which followed tours as assistant athletic trainer at West Point (while on active duty) and Syracuse.

In June of 1996, Miller completed four years as president of the 20,000-member NATA. He is a former president of the Great Lakes Athletic Trainers Association. He currently is chair of a NATA task force that is developing and recommending standards for health care for intercollegiate athletes. Miller was inducted into the NATA Hall of Fame in June of 2001.