Press Release

July 18, 2009

Smith '00 Named to Athletic Training Staff

MARYVILLE, Mo.-Northwest Missouri State has named Jeff Smith to its athletic training staff effective this week. Smith, a 2000 graduate of Northwest, replaces Kristin Mayson who served as interim athletic trainer last year.

Smith had been the head athletic trainer and associate athletics director at Nicholls State since 2003 and spent a season with the Barcelona Dragons of NFL Europe prior to that. He received a master's degree from Louisiana State University in 2002.

Smith was an athletic training student for the Bearcats during both championship football runs in 1998 and 1999. Smith also managed the volleyball, men's basketball, tennis and track and field teams. He'll be the head athletic trainer for football during the 2009 season.

"I'd like to thank (athletic director) Dr. Bob Boerigter, (head athletic trainer) Kelly Quinlin and coach (Mel) Tjeerdsma for the great opportunity to return to Northwest and serve as an athletic trainer for the football program," said Smith. "Rarely in this business do you get an opportunity to return home and work for your alma mater. Northwest has a rich athletic training tradition and I'm blessed to have an opportunity to serve the University in this capacity."

Smith has served two stints with the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs. He was a student intern for the Chiefs in 1998 and 1999 and was a seasonal assistant during the 2002 campaign.

Since 2005, Smith has been the head athletic trainer for the Manning Passing Academy and will continue to work the Academy now and in the future. The camp is one of the premier offensive skills camps in the nation and totals nearly 1,500 campers each year. The camp is hosted by Archie, Peyton, Eli and Cooper Manning.

Smith is engaged to be married to Tori Priddy, the new office manager for Upward Bound on the Northwest campus.