Kenny Howard Obituary

Milford Kenneth “Kenny” Howard, 90, passed away in his sleep on Monday, February 26, 2017, in Auburn, Ala.

Born in 1926, Howard was Auburn’s Head Athletic Trainer from 1948 to 1976, where he made a monumental impact on sports medicine and became an inspiration for all aspiring athletic trainers.

Howard also was one of the founding fathers of the National Athletic Trainers Association, something he couldn’t have foreseen when he began as a student athletic trainer in 1945.

Sports medicine and athletic training has come a long way thanks to Howard. But he always made sure to thank his colleague and good friend, the late Dr. Jack Hughston, Auburn’s first orthopedic surgeon for athletics.

Howard’s legacy will be remembered alongside Dr. Hughston. “Kenny Howard and Jack Hughston developed a relationship that basically set the building blocks today for where we are in sports medicine,” said John “Doc” Anderson, who ran cross-country for Auburn at the time while Howard was head athletic trainer. Howard was also the first Auburn athletic trainer to attend the Olympics, working with the U.S. track team in Helsinki in 1952 and the U.S. swimming team in Montreal in 1976.

While enjoying retirement, he still provided his wisdom through the Kenny Howard Assistantship, a graduate program that allows students to travel to various East Alabama high schools to get on-the-field experience at practices and games.

He was so loved and respected in Auburn that many members of the community would visit him before going to a doctor.

“You could say Southern gentleman, but that sounds kind of trite,” said Anderson. “This guy is everything Auburn stands for.”