Indiana University Athletics
Dean Kleinschmidt in a Perfect Spot at Indiana
4/7/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 7, 2006
During the spring of 2005, new Indiana head football coach Terry Hoeppner made more than 50 official appearances around the campus, community and state promoting Hoosier football. As Hoeppner made this trek, head football athletic trainer Dean Kleinschmidt could not help but think back 40 years earlier.
Kleinschmidt arrived as a freshman at IU in August, 1965, largely because Indiana was the only school in the country that offered athletic training as a major. Kleinschmidt helped out as a student trainer for the Indiana football team, under the direction of first-year head coach John Pont.
"I was living in Briscoe, and there was a note on a bulletin board encouraging students to come hear Coach Pont speak to them," Kleinschmidt said. "Coach Pont was dynamic, small in stature, but the white hair, he was tan and trim. The place was packed to hear him speak, and the kids were so excited."
"Forty years later, we have a new coach, and it is the same thing," Kleinschmidt said. "The comparisons are easy. They're both big believers in the program, speaking to students, the Kiwanis, faculty and other sports teams. Everyone jumped on board."
Indiana went 2-8 in Pont's first year, followed by 1-8-1 in 1966. However, the Hoosiers were one of the nation's top stories in 1967, posting a 9-2 overall record en route to the Big Ten title and Rose Bowl appearance against USC.
Kleinschmidt provides an interesting gauge of Indiana's development that fall.
"I was taking a speech class, and we had to make a speech on change," Kleinschmidt said. "I called (former Bloomington Herald-Times sports editor) Bob Hammel and asked him to pull all of the Sunday sports pages from that fall. We had opened with an eight-game winning streak, and the headlines used words in quotes like `cardiac', `surprising', `shocking,' But as we get further along the streak, they stopped using the quotes.
"It turned out to be a magical year. That's what we're looking for with Coach Hep, and with the way that the program and recruiting have developed, things are good."
Ironically, Kleinschmidt played a key role in the magic of 1967.
"When I was in college, I spent my summers working for the Green Bay Packers' training camp," Kleinschmidt said. "One of the old traditions in training camp is to have rookies stand up during dinner and sing their school's fight song. Coach Lombardi really bought into it, saying that it helped build camaraderie.
"It got to a point where the rookies really weren't buying into it, so Lombardi had (veteran offensive guard) Fuzzy Thurston get up and sing. At that time, the folk song, `He Has The Whole World In His Hands' was very popular, so Fuzzy stood up and belted that out, but he switched the words to talk about the Packers - talk about Bart Starr, the defense. It was a memorable moment to which Kleinschmidt added a Hoosier twist.
"I get back to fall camp at Indiana in 1967, and Coach Pont pulled me aside after practice one day and asked me to talk to the team about my experience at pro camp. Well, I got up and started talking about how the Packers are a championship team and how well that they got along, and I ended up singing `He Has The Whole World In His Hands.' This time, I changed the lyrics to IU."
Kleinschmidt initially saw this as a mistake, but Pont did an interview with ESPN Classic's Gary Bender and Bill Curry during the 2005 Indiana-Kentucky football game, and the legendary coach said it is one of the highlights of the 1967 season.
"I made a beeline out of there as soon as I was done, I could not believe that I just did that," Kleinschmidt said. "But the next morning, the guys all came up to me and talked about how great it was. It helped Coach Pont establish one of his own traditions, having the freshman sing during dinner."
Kleinschmidt's undergraduate athletic training tenure spawned a 30-plus year NFL training career with the New Orleans Saints and Washington Redskins. According to Kleinschmidt, it was more than a job.
"I met a lot of great friends that certainly made it worthwhile," Kleinschmidt said. "(Former) Saints quarterback Archie Manning was one of the hardest working players that I have ever been around. He would come in during the offseason, and we would watch the boys (Cooper, Peyton and Eli) while Archie worked out."
During his tenure in New Orleans, Kleinschmidt worked with 13 different head coaches, including Hank Stram, O.A. `Bum' Phillips, Mike Ditka and Jim Mora. Each had their own approach to sports medicine.
"Ditka was interesting because he had had most of the injuries when he was a player," Kleinschmidt said. "You have to learn to deal with rejection, because when the trainer shows up in the coach's office, it is never a good sign. But they all accepted that injuries are part of the game. It would often take a year, or season or two, to earn the Coach's trust."
Kleinschmidt established himself as one of the most respected trainers in pro football, and this resulted in increased opportunity. He has served as the medical coordinator for the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., since 1971, and he also serves on the medical staff for the annual NFL Combine in Indianapolis each February.
Kleinschmidt's vast experience makes him more than just the Indiana trainer.
"I never grow tired of the (players') questions," Kleinschmidt said. "What about agents? What if I don't get drafted? What to expect? I am really looking forward to this year's draft (April 29-30 in New York) because I spent two years with guys like Victor Adeyanju, Isaac Sowells, Kyle Killion, Ben Ishola, Chris Taylor, John Pannozzo. I'll be so excited for those guys when they get their next opportunity."
After an impressive NFL training career, Kleinschmidt returned to Indiana in 2004. He could not be happier to be back at his alma mater, because it also allowed more time with his son, Rhett, who completed his eligibility as an IU wide receiver last fall.
"These players are so appreciative and respectful," Kleinschmidt said. "It's a wonderful school, with great doctors, and the real bonus was getting more time with Rhett. I'm in a great spot. This is just perfect."