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Most high school athletes dream of lettering in their sport. Tyler Smith, however, made history by lettering in sports medicine at Centennial High School. For him, it meant taping ankles, helping athletes recover, and—though he didn’t realize it at the time—launching a career that would define the next 25 years.
“I didn’t really know about athletic training until I had met one in high school,” Smith said. “I realized it meshed sports competitiveness and human anatomy, which were both interests of mine.”
His teacher and mentor, longtime Centennial Athletic Trainer Eric Taylor, quickly saw Smith’s potential.
“Tyler was always very involved,” Taylor recalled. “I remember thinking, ‘man, this kid has the potential to have an impact in health care, and hopefully in the athletic training profession.’”
Smith carried that dedication to Boise State, where he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. A pivotal internship with the Indianapolis Colts gave him a taste of the professional ranks, but the experience confirmed his passion lay with collegiate athletics.
“I left enjoying it, but also being more in love with the college experience, because it was less of a business,” Smith said.
Since joining Boise State full-time in 2004, Smith has risen to Director for Athletic Training for Olympic Sports, overseeing the health and safety of more than 100 student-athletes. Beyond game-day care, he has pushed for initiatives like CPR certification across the department and established a protocol to address Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S).
Taylor, who first guided Smith as a teenager, remains proud of his protégé’s journey.
“It is truly no surprise to me what a terrific athletic training professional he has become,” Taylor said.
For Smith, the rewards remain simple: building relationships, supporting athletes, and giving back to the program he grew up cheering for. Check out the long story (w/ more photos) here!
