Hamlin incident highlights athletic trainers' vital role in player safety

By Greg Davis

Published January 24, 2023 at 10:55 AM EST

Ways To Subscribe

Damar Hamlin is examined during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

The quick action of athletic trainers is credited with saving the life of Buffalo Bills’ safety Damar Hamlin. This week on Dr. Greg Davis we take a deep dive into how athletic trainers are trained to respond to even the most unimaginable sports-related emergency situations. He goes one on one with Dr. Johanna Hoch, Program Director of the Professional Masters in Athletic Training at the University of Kentucky.

Dr. Johanna Hoch is an Associate Professor in the Department of Athletic Training and Clinical Nutrition, and Program Director of the Professional Masters in Athletic Training. Dr. Hoch graduated from the University of Kentucky with her PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences in 2012. She completed her Master of Science from Ohio University and her Bachelor of Science from Ohio Northern University.

Dr. Hoch’s research focuses on improving the provision of patient-centered care in athletic training clinical practice through the utilization of patient-reported outcome instruments and improving health related quality of life for individuals with a history of musculoskeletal injury, primarily ACL reconstruction.

A UK AT alum was directly involved in the Hamlin on-field injury. Read his story here:

https://www.uky.edu/chs/about/news/alum-part-bills-staff-saved-football-player%E2%80%99s-life