KU’s Grant Honored as State’s Athletic Trainer of the Year

OMAHA, Neb. – Kansas’ Assistant Athletic Director of Sports Medicine and Head Football Athletic Trainer, Murphy Grant, was honored by the Kansas Athletic Trainers Society (KATS) when he was named the state’s Athletic Trainer of the Year Saturday at the Mid-America Athletic Trainers Association Symposium. Grant, who recently announced the implementation of state-of-the-art concussion-sensing mouth guards by the KU football team, earned the honor for the first time.
 
“I was honored to have received this award,” said Grant. “None of this could be possible without the support of my family, the great athletic training staff here at KU, and the support of our administration.”
 
Grant, who is in his eighth year in the Kansas Sports Medicine Department, has been on the cutting edge of athletic training on a number of fronts, from aquatic rehabilitation centers to concussion testing. Grant has constructed workout programs for such athletes as Derek Jeter and Tiger Woods and has been a consultant for the Navy Seals on two occasions.
 
Recently under Grant’s guidance, Kansas became one of the first collegiate athletic departments to institute concussion-sensing mouth guards for its football team. The mouthguards’ “ESP Chip Technology” measures the brain activity for impacts, according to i1 Biometrics. The data can show the magnitude, location and direction of the impact. Trainers can use the information in real-time to, for example, pull out and physically evaluate a player who took an especially hard hit. Kansas football will begin implementing the high-tech mouthguards at spring practices beginning this month.
 
In the past year, Grant has also served as the point person for the Big 12 Conference and helped the league draft its position statement on concussion treatment and prevention. His other recent endeavors have included research to find better ways to detect and treat sickle cell anemia, cardiac issues and heat illnesses.
 
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