Walz has served at South Florida for over 25 years and has had oversight of sports medicine for the athletic department for over 20 years
TAMPA, JUNE 7, 2022 – University of South Florida Associate Athletics Director/Director of Sports Medicine Steve Walz has been named a 2022 Hall of Fame inductee by the Athletic Trainers’ Association of Florida (ATAF), the organization announced.
Walz will be officially inducted into the ATAF Hall of Fame on Saturday, July 9.
The ATAF Hall of Fame recognizes those who have supported the athletic training profession through state activities, worked to establish the profession of athletic training, and been involved in the caring of the athletes of Florida. Nominees must be Certified/Licensed Athletic Trainers with 20 years of experience and a minimum of 20 years of service in the State of Florida.
Walz was previously recognized as the 2006 ATAF Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer of the Year.
Walz has served at South Florida for over 25 years and has oversight of sports medicine for the athletic department for over 20 years. Walz oversees all day-to-day aspects of healthcare for nearly 450 student-athletes at USF. Walz oversees 18 Athletic Trainers, the Director of Sports Psychology, and the Director of Sports Nutrition. Additionally, he directly assists with coverage of the football program and oversees medical coverage of the men’s golf program.
The Sports Medicine program at USF has evolved over the years and in 2019, became a part of the Morsani College of Medicine as its own division of Athletic Medicine housed in the Department of Family Medicine. This independent healthcare model for USF student-athletes allows for greater access to some of the best healthcare providers in the country. In addition to athletic training and physician coverage, Athletic Medicine provides mental health and nutrition services.
A native of Jefferson City, Missouri, Walz graduated from the University of Missouri in 1992 before moving to Tampa to earn his Master’s Degree at USF while also serving as the head men’s basketball athletic trainer. In 1996, Walz became the first football athletic trainer in USF history when the program began. He has additionally served as an NFL injury/medical spotter since 2012.
In addition to his stints at USF, Walz previously served as head athletic trainer of the Tampa Bay Storm and outreach program director at Shawnee Mission Medical Center in the Kansas City area.
Walz, a fixture in USF Sports Medicine, has served on the executive board of the Athletic Trainers Association of Florida, president and co-founder of the Big East Sports Medicine Society, president of the American Athletic Conference Sports Medicine Society, and is currently the coordinator of the annual AAC Sports Medicine Symposium since 2012. Walz was named the USF Outstanding Employee in 2004, 2013 and 2020.
About USF Athletics
USF Athletics currently sponsors 19 varsity men’s and women’s teams that compete in 11 different sports, 18 at the NCAA Division I level in the American Athletic Conference, which will expand to 21 teams with the recently announced additions of women’s lacrosse (2023-24) and women’s beach volleyball (2024-25). The Bulls’ athletic program began in 1965 and completed its 55th season in 2020-21. Nearly 450 student-athletes train and compete in the athletic district located on the east end of the campus in Tampa, Fla. The Bulls have claimed 26 American Athletic Conference team titles since joining the conference in 2013, including seven trophies in the 2021 calendar year, and own 136 conference titles in department history. The Bulls have posted a combined annual grade-point average over 3.0 for seven straight years and have posted a program-record 14 straight semesters with a combined GPA over 3.0 as of the fall of 2021. USF has had over 500 student-athletes earn their degree since 2016-17.
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