Director of Sports Medicine - Head Football Athletic Trainer at Samford University
“It’s All About the Players”
“I always wanted to work in athletics,” said Samford University’s Director of Sports Medicine and Head Football Athletic Trainer Whitley Williams, who explained she initially studied physical therapy but switched to athletic training because she wanted to address athletes' imminent and acute sports medicine needs.
Today, Williams assists in overseeing the Sports Medicine Department at Samford. The Sports Medicine Department includes nine certified athletic trainers and three physical therapists in conjunction with multiple physicians through Andrews Sports Medicine. She counts the entire Andrews Sports Medicine staffs as part of the Sports Medicine team at Samford because, "They are here so often on campus and an integral part of all that we do. They are definitely a part of our team."
“This is my dream job,” she said. “I love college football and even though I transitioned to Director of Sports Medicine a few years ago, I never wanted to be left behind clinically. I love gameday and practice. When we start practice each season, there’s no place I’d rather be than on the sideline.”
“My primary role is athlete-centered and making sure they are on the field safely,” Williams said, adding that she coordinates closely with coaches and sports performance staff, and relies heavily on data and quantitative information to ensure “our athletes are safe and performing to the best of their ability. It’s all about the players.”
Up Early, Building Relationships
Williams said she and her staff start most days at 3 a.m. year-round. “We’re getting guys ready at 5:30 a.m. to lift. They’re always lifting, off and on season. We do treatments throughout the morning, gear up for practice with taping and such, and then, after practice, we do more treatments. It’s a full, busy day every day. And no two days are ever alike. That’s one thing I love about this job. Every day is different, and I never know what I’m getting. There’s never a mundane moment and it keeps me on my toes.”
“One of the most rewarding parts of my job,” Williams said, “is building relationships with the players and hearing their stories. I love the day-to-day interactions with them. How’s your family? What are you going to do after you graduate? It’s great getting to know them.”
Williams also finds it rewarding to watch athletes overcome setbacks or injuries. “There’s that moment they perform at a level they didn’t think they would perform at again,” she said, adding that she loves showing players their performance data on the tablet so they can see that they are “right back where they were when they left off.”
Game-Day State of Mind
“People always ask me about the moment when a player is injured,” Williams said, “but it all starts long before that.” She explained that she works closely with her team, paramedics, physicians, and other professionals to ensure everyone is at the “top of their game in terms of emergent medical care.”
Even with all the preparatory work involved, “gameday is different from the moment I wake up,” she said. “From the moment I wake up until I’m returning home, I’m processing ‘what happens if…? What happens next…?’ I’m always running through scenarios in my mind, preparing for anything.”
When an athlete is injured during a game, she explained, “I survey the scene… I know our athletes. I know that guy. Sometimes people wonder why the medical team doesn’t run straight out there. We know our players and when someone is just a little slow getting up or looks like they might need a rest, and we know when something isn’t typical and when we see that, we’ll head out even before the whistle blows.”
“I always go straight for their face because I want to reassure them, make sure they are okay and quickly determine what’s next,” Williams said. “I want them to see my face, know I’m there, and know they are being cared for by someone they know and trust.”
Game-Changing New Products
The next step, she said, is getting an injured player to a safe, private space where they can be evaluated. “This is where the SidelinER® has been a gamechanger,” she said. “It provides a moment of privacy we normally couldn’t provide. Privacy is critically important to me and the players.”
She added that while she understands the coaches want to check on their players, “the SidelinER® is a protected space, only certain people are allowed in, typically me and the physicians.” She explained that every team arranges their SidelinER® to meet their specific needs, but in Samford’s tent they have a treatment table, a cooler of ice, a few supplies, an IV pole, a fan, and lights. “Before we had to treat them out in the open on the sideline,” she said, “now we have a safe, almost sacred space where we can care for our athletes in private.”
Williams said that typically while the staff is evaluating the athlete, she also uses the privacy of the SidelinER® to call the player’s parents. “If it’s a serious injury, I call mom and dad,” she said. “While the staff is working, I’ll have the player call his parents. This is an extra thing we can provide in this space. Either the parents are in the stands or maybe at home watching, and they are scared and need to hear their child’s voice. This space makes it possible.”
Another game-changing product that’s been a hit on the Samford sidelines, she said, are Kinematic’s Dragon ShadER™.
“They’ve been a huge hit with everyone,” Williams said. “We used to put them out during the season, but now we use them all the time. Our guys love them on the sidelines.” She added that in the extreme Alabama heat, the Dragon ShadER™ help protect players from heat-related illnesses and are a “big deal during a game to protect the athletes.”
She added that at first the coaches were skeptical of another piece of equipment on the sidelines, but soon realized the shades were also handy in helping the coaches use their iPads, which they rely on throughout the game. Now, she said, “the coaches love the shades.”
Williams added that when it comes to new products and technology for college athletics, “every day is like Christmas. We’re always looking for new products and advancements that make our job easier and our athletes safer. Because, again, it’s all about the players.”
Written by Amy Wright