Al Kranz

Al was a longtime staff member at NIU and was instrumental in the development and education of our student athletic trainers. Al Kranz impacted NIU’s athletic program, hundreds of student-athletes, staff, faculty, and current Sports Medicine techniques as the university’s first Certified Athletic Trainer. Al was inducted as a charter member of the Illinois Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame in 1984. He was co-founder of the Illinois Athletic Trainers Association and aided passage of Illinois that regulates professional standards. He was a member of National Athletic Trainers Association and served as chief trainer in the Amoco corporate fitness program. Al worked as a student trainer at NIU, as a graduate assistant, as faculty assistant plus head trainer and assistant professor in physical education. Al served as head trainer at Illinois State and started a therapeutic rehab program within the NIU physical education courses. He conducted outreach program clinics within Chicago Public League personnel and was cited by colleagues for Excellence in Teaching. Al also served in the US Army during WWI.