On Wednesday afternoon the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its Award of Excellence winners, and former Detroit Lions athletic trainer Dean Kleinschmidt is one of the recipients.
The Award of Excellence, first handed out in 2022, goes to assistant coaches, athletic trainers, equipment managers, film and video directors and public relations directors. The Hall does not participate in the nomination or voting process.
Congratulations to longtime @NFL athletic trainer Dean Kleinschmidt on receiving the Award of Excellence from the @ProFootballHOF!
Dean was the #Lions’ head athletic trainer from 2007-14 before retiring from his career as an NFL athletic trainer that spanned more than 40 years. pic.twitter.com/O0ffUcfnPA
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) March 27, 2024
Kleinschmidt served as the Lions head athletic trainer from 2007 to 2014. Over that time he helped a lot of key players on the team stay on the field while also extending their careers. The prime years of Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson saw them take some brutal hits, but the trainers department always took care of them and they helped usher in a new era of Lions football.
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Kleinschmidt’s career was more than just Detroit, however — it spanned 40 years in the NFL. In a league that jokingly is referred to as Not For Long, Kleinschmidt had a lasting career and is a deserving recipient of the Award of Excellence from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.