Longtime UNK athletic trainer Bill Murphy selected for state hall of fame
KEARNEY – When Bill Murphy was a high schooler, he didn’t know anything about athletic training and sports medicine.
These professionals weren’t part of most small-town sports programs in the mid-1980s.
“We had a first-aid kit, Cramergesic (a pain-relief ointment) and a few Band-Aids,” Murphy said half-jokingly. “I didn’t know there were athletic trainers. I really didn’t.”
The Hershey native was interested in physical therapy, and that’s what he planned to study when he arrived at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. However, his adviser suggested a different field, one that would allow him to work exclusively with athletes. Then she introduced him to longtime Husker athletic trainer George Sullivan, who invited Murphy to his office for a two-hour chat.
“George took me under his wing and talked to me about athletic training and how this could be a great thing,” Murphy said. “I’ve loved it ever since.”
Murphy graduated from UNL in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in athletic training and was immediately recruited to the University of Nebraska at Kearney by Kathy English, who served as the head athletic trainer and director of athletic training services for Loper Athletics, taught classes in the athletic training program and directed the athletic training internship program.
After one year as a graduate assistant, Murphy was offered a part-time position as an assistant athletic trainer. He earned his master’s degree from UNK in 1994, was promoted to head athletic trainer the following year, and never looked back.
Now the senior head athletic trainer and associate athletic director of sports medicine, Murphy is entering his 32nd year with UNK Athletics. His mission remains the same as Day 1.
“We want to do what’s in the best interest of the student-athletes, give them high-quality health care in a timely manner,” Murphy said. “We want to be a positive benefit to them, and we want to make this a great experience for them.”
Murphy oversees a staff of four – soon to be five – certified athletic trainers who support 400-plus UNK student-athletes across 15 teams. They’re on hand for conditioning, practices and games, devoting countless hours to injury prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.
“The days can get pretty long, but it’s the love and passion that you have for taking care of athletes that keeps you going,” said Murphy, who still travels with the UNK football team. “It’s a pretty rewarding experience when you get to be part of an athlete’s success.”
UNK Athletic Director Marc Bauer describes Murphy as hardworking and caring, someone who’s always willing to go above and beyond to help others.
“How do you measure the impact of an athletic trainer? It’s not by how many conversations you have with patients or how many ankles you tape each day. I measure Bill’s impact by the number of former athletes who email and thank him, request to have him tour the facilities or stop in the office to share stories and reminiscence about their collegiate careers and the times they spent together on the road, in practice and competition or rehabbing in the training room,” Bauer said. “Bill’s passion for serving our student-athletes and coaches is evident in the personal relationships he had when they attended UNK and years beyond their time in Kearney.”
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Those connections extend across campus and throughout the community.
Murphy works closely with Dr. Brad Rodgers, the UNK Athletics medical director and team physician, as well as medical professionals at New West Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Surgery, New West Orthopaedic & Sports Rehabilitation and other local health care providers.
“In our world, those relationships with doctors and the medical community are crucial,” Murphy said. “Everyone is just a phone call away, and that’s key. They really support our mission of providing the best care for our student-athletes.”
As an associate athletic director, Murphy also supervises the equipment room and strength and conditioning. He played a key role in the development of the Loper Sports Performance Network, a comprehensive care program that focuses on player and coach development, strength and conditioning, academics, mental wellness and sports science, medicine, nutrition and psychology, and helped create an outreach program currently operated through New West that provides athletic training and sports medicine services to more than 50 area high schools.
Murphy taught classes for the UNK athletic training program for around two decades and continues to provide mentoring and hands-on learning experiences for graduate students pursuing their master’s degrees here. His former students now work for high schools, colleges, universities and sports teams across the state, country and world.
“That’s a big part of what we do,” Murphy said. “I really enjoy mentoring student athletic trainers who want to go into our profession. It’s very rewarding to watch them go on and be successful. You’re very proud because you’re passing the torch on to the next generation.”
He also promotes the profession at area high schools and offers job-shadowing opportunities with UNK Sports Medicine.
Kazuma Akehi earned a bachelor’s degree in athletic training from UNK in 2007 and currently serves as an associate professor and director of the program. He calls Murphy a role model for students and colleagues and a trusted and respected figure both within and outside UNK.
“Under his leadership, UNK Sports Medicine and the athletic training program have flourished,” Akehi said. “He has been pivotal in integrating state-of-the-art techniques and equipment, ensuring the program stays at the forefront of sports medicine practices. His vision has transformed the department and community into a well-respected center for athletic and rural health care, reflecting his ability to adopt and implement advancements in the field.”
LIFETIME HONOR
A member of the Nebraska Shrine Bowl medical staff, Murphy has served on numerous local, state and national sports medicine committees throughout his career. He’s the current chair of the Nebraska State Athletic Trainers’ Association (NSATA) Intercollegiate Council for Sports Medicine.
The NSATA recognized Murphy with the George F. Sullivan Athletic Trainer of the Year Award in 2012 and the organization will induct him into its hall of fame during a ceremony Friday evening at the Holiday Inn and Convention Center in Kearney. The NSATA Hall of Fame display is located in UNK’s Health and Sports Center, just steps from the stairway leading to Murphy’s office.
“I cannot think of anyone more fitting for this honor,” Bauer said. “Bill exemplifies the qualities of a professional, supportive, positive leader who exercises sound judgment in essential matters, dares to assume responsibility and serve others, and maintains integrity consistently, reflecting strong moral principles.”
For Murphy, it’s surreal to join an NSATA Hall of Fame that already includes English, Sullivan and other athletic training icons and personal mentors like Jerry Weber and Duke LaRue.
“To be on that wall with them is very humbling,” he said. “You’re very grateful and very thankful just to be part of that.”
“That’s something that lives on forever,” he added. “My son can come back and walk through that hallway in 20 years and that plaque will always be there.”
Making the occasion even more memorable, Rodgers will also be recognized Friday with the NSATA’s Key Contributor Award, presented to individuals who go above and beyond to support athletic trainers. Murphy nominated him for the honor.
A well-known family practice physician in Kearney, Rodgers has served as the UNK Athletics medical director and team physician for more than 25 years. He schedules regular visits to the athletic training room and is present at home football and basketball games. Rodgers also supports the Loper Sports Performance Network, teaches a class for athletic training students and serves as the medical director for numerous high school and collegiate athletic events hosted by UNK.
“His mentorship of myself and staff over the years has truly been a blessing to our sports medicine program and the entire athletic department,” Murphy said. “He has positively impacted thousands of Loper athletes during his career. UNK is lucky to have such a dedicated individual.”
In addition to his role at UNK, Rodgers has been a longtime preceptor for University of Nebraska Medical Center students and he’s the official team doctor for Tri-City Storm hockey.