THE CHIEF EXPERIENCE Although many fans waited hours in lines before and after games to get a chance to meet personal sports heroes and to get autographs, senior athletic training major Justin Kutter managed to hit the jackpot. Between late July and late August last summer, Kutter worked directly with NFL athletes as an athletic training intern for the Kansas City Chiefs. Kutter said he began looking for an internship with an NFL team after he worked as a resident assistant in Harbin Hall, where he got to know Assistant Professor of Kinesiology Ronnie Harlow, the Harbin Hall dorm dad. Harlow completed two seasonal internships with NFL teams and helped Kutter get in touch with the right people to find an internship of his own. Shortly after he sent his resume and cover letter to the Kansas City Chiefs, Kutter spent two days with the team during a rookie mini-camp to see if he would be a good fit for the job. After attending the camp, he was asked to return for an internship. Senior Courtney Beall, a fellow athletic training major, said Kutter was a good candidate for the internship and had the opportunity to gain valuable experience that many others would not have. "I think Justin went and applied for this internship because it was the experience of a lifetime," Beall said. "Justin was able to learn new things from very experienced professionals. This will be very helpful for his future career." Although Kutter said he often worked 16-hour days, the experience he gained was worth the long hours. Among Courtney Hatfield History Joshua Hatfield Criminal Justice Lauren Hawes Exercise Science Kimberly Hawkins English Licensure Andrea Hayes Biology Daniel Hayes Biology/Leadership & Ministry Jessica Heckmann Criminal Justice Colton Henley Early Childhood Education Sheyli Hernandez Social Work Dorita Herrarte Accounting 122 1 People Athletic training major, senior Justin Kutter, works as an intern for the Kansas City Chiefs other things, Kutter prepared the field and equipment for games and practices, warmed up and stretched the players, treated injuries and traveled with the team to a preseason game in Green Bay, Wis. Kutter said the players were often more friendly than they were portrayed to be by the media. 'The media makes it seem like the players are these guys who think they're all that and better than the fans, but really they're all very willing to meet people, and a lot of them wished they could interact with fans more often," Kutter said. Kutter said he had the opportunity to converse extensively with players such as Jamaal Charles, Dwayne Bowe and Dexter McCiuster about t~pics ranging from video games to faith while he treated them. Some of the players were generous and humble, Kutter said. Over the course of his internship, Kutter said he gained experience and was exposed to variations of the practices he learned in school. Graduate Assistant Lacy Rush said Kutter's internship was a good learning experience. "Justin came back to Harding from the internship eager and excited to share with us what he learned," Rush said. "He will remember that experience for the rest of his life, and he will be able to carry on those experiences into his personal practice in the profession. Being able to make those connections with the Chiefs and the NFL organization will help him out tremendously in the future." Matt Ryan
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