More Than Taping Ankles – Boise State University Athletics

After 25 years in blue and orange, he’s seen the program, and the profession, change in ways few others can match.

“When I started, you had this dedicated schedule of, ‘we practice at this time, we play during this time’,” said Smith. “Now, we’re always training, we’re always lifting, we always have something on the books. Athletic training has also expanded outside of just the athletic realm. We’re in performing arts, some even work at places like Amazon. There’s a lot of different places that are recognizing what athletic trainers do really well.”

The one thing that hasn’t changed is Smith’s passion for the Broncos.

“Every Sunday morning, I remember checking the ESPN website to see if our football team would be ranked in the top-25,” said Smith. “I vividly remember, it was a surreal moment at my desk where we actually cracked the top-25, and I was like, ‘oh my gosh, we did it.’”

But while Boise State’s rise has been celebrated publicly, the role of athletic trainers like Smith is sometimes less understood. Most people picture wrapping ankles or handing out water. For Smith, that remains the biggest misconception.