Carrier Rewarded With Hall of Fame Induction
6/23/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
By Nick Barnowski
MSU Athletic Communications Student Assistant
EAST LANSING - Nearly 40 years after learning basic first-aid as an aspiring coach fresh out of the Army, Michigan State associate head athletic trainer Dave Carrier is a Hall of Famer.
Carrier, Michigan State hockey's athletic trainer for the past 31 years, will be inducted into the National Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame on June 25 in St. Louis, Missouri, an honor that brought a flood of emotions.
"It was joyful, tearful and made me think how I got selected for this," Carrier said. "I had flashbacks to 1976 when I first started. All of those emotions run through you in those seconds someone tells you you're in the Hall of Fame."
The Albion, Michigan, native is the third athletic trainer currently at MSU to be elected to the NATA Hall of Fame, alongside head athletic trainer Dr. Sally Nogle and Dr. John Powell. He is the eighth trainer to have worked at MSU to be voted into the hall.
"It's nerve-wracking to stand up next to these people who are Hall of Famers but are also your peers," Carrier said. "We've known that Michigan State has one of the best athletic training programs in the country, and this continually solidifies what we've known for a long time."
Dr. Nogle, who was inducted into the NATA Hall of Fame in 2012, said she was ecstatic to hear Carrier would be receiving the prestigious honor.
"I was incredibly excited and happy for him," said Nogle, who has worked at MSU since 1983. "Dave is a consummate professional and he represents himself, his family and MSU with respect. His hands-on and rehabilitation skills set him apart from most athletic trainers around the country, and we are blessed to have someone so valuable."
The 2014-15 hockey season was Carrier's 31st with the program, but his journey started at Ferris State. An athletic training class opened up a whole new world for Carrier, one he would immediately fall in love with. He graduated with a bachelor's of science in physical education from Ferris in 1979 and spent five years as the university's assistant coordinator of sports medicine.
He then was hired at Michigan State, where he continued his mission to improve the lives of anyone he came in touch with.
"I like helping and caring for people," he said. "I hope I can make a different somehow in their lives, either as a mentor or by helping them athletically and academically."
Carrier's impact on the Spartan hockey program is far reaching. His office is lined with pictures of former players who expressed their thanks for Carrier, while many view him as one of the most respected individuals in college hockey.
"It means a lot of things, but I guess I means that my efforts to become better and to give back to those people is being rewarded for them saying such nice things," he said.
While Carrier has given so much to Michigan State, he deflects the credit to all of the people he's met during his time in East Lansing.
"The truth is, those players have given back to me more than I've ever given to them," he said. "The University has given back to me more than I could ever give to this University. I can't tell you how thankful I am I was hired work here."
With a smile, Carrier said he stole his charm and charisma from legendary former MSU head coach Ron Mason, while he recognized Dr. Nogle for helping him learn skills he never had even thought of before.
"I've had so many people influence me," he said. "There are a lot of great people that I've met through this job."
NATA 2015 Hall of Fame- David Carrier from National Athletic Trainers' Assn on Vimeo.
During his time at Michigan State, Carrier earned the opportunity to work with the U.S. Olympic Team. He got his start in 1985 with the Greco and freestyle wrestling teams and eventually went on to work at a number of high profile events.
He served as the head athletic trainer for the 1990 U.S. hockey team at the World Championships in Switzerland and at the 1988 Olympics in Calgary. Carrier also worked with U.S. ski jumpers and Nordic athletes at the 1992 Winter Olympics.
"What all of those experiences did for me was certainly made me better and helped me create lifelong friendships with the athletes and coaches," Carrier said. "But what it really said to me was that Michigan State was where I wanted to be."
A self-described "Midwestern kind of guy," Carrier said his father, Phil, and brother, Kent, were role models growing up.
"My dad didn't live long enough for him to see that I got here, but he loved this place," Carrier said. "He was a kind-hearted man, while my brother was a Hall of Famer for helping people."
It's clear their influences made an impression on Carrier. As he enters his 32nd season with MSU hockey, he sees his induction to the NATA Hall of Fame as the culmination of what his players and Michigan State University have given back to him. It's what makes the job rewarding.
"It's a huge honor," he said. "It's the chance to continue to help young men and young women succeed. What I want to be known for is just caring and helping people succeed with their dreams."
