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About the Fellowship
Who is Kenny Howard? | Mission Statement | Why were we created? | Facilities | Participating Schools

Kenny HowardFor nearly 30 years, as Auburn University athletes continued their tradition of winning, Kenny Howard established a reputation for caring and healing.

Howard found his calling during his time as an Auburn student, when legendary track and field coach Wilbur Hutsell asked him to serve as an athletic trainer. Upon graduation in 1948, Howard was named Head Athletic Trainer and served in that capacity until 1976. From that point forward, he became a trusted confidante for Auburn coaches, including Ralph “Shug’’ Jordan, and an invaluable resource for athletes. He also formed a close bond with Dr. Jack Hughston, one of the fathers of modern sports medicine, whose help he enlisted to help care for Auburn athletes. Kenny was the trainer for the U.S. Olympic Track team at Helsinki in 1952 and the trainer for the U.S. Olympic Swim team at Montreal in 1976. He also served as head trainer for the World University Games on two occasions. He was the trainer for the Blue-Gray game for ten consecutive years and the trainer for the Senior Bowl for two years.

Howard with Shug Jordan
Kenny Howard, pictured with legendary football coach Ralph “Shug’’ Jordan at the 1969 Bluebonnet Bowl, served as Auburn University’s head athletic trainer from 1948-76.

From 1976 through 1980 Kenny served Auburn as its first assistant athletics director for Olympic Sports. He retired from Auburn in 1980 and went to work as Director of Sports Relations for the Hughston Sports Medicine Foundation, Inc., and served in that position until his retirement in 1995.

As Auburn’s head athletic trainer, Howard treated every conceivable type of bump, bruise, break, dislocation, sprain, pull or tear. Even though he retired from Auburn in 1980, Howard’s work lives on through the Auburn students who follow in his footsteps each year.

Kenny was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. He
is the first athletic trainer to receive such an honor.

Kenny is a member of the National Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame, the Alabama Trainers Association Hall of Fame, the Hughston Society, the Auburn A-Club and Auburn Lettermen Club, and the City of Auburn Tiger Trail. He served the City of Auburn as a member of the City Council from 1984 through 1987. He is married to the former Jeanne Barnhart and they have three sons and daughter. Jeanne and Kenny continue to reside in Auburn.