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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Knight Named Charter Member of MATA Hall Of Fame
1/6/2003 | Football
Jan. 6, 2003
OXFORD, Miss. - The late Wesley I. (Doc) Knight of Oxford, who served as athletic trainer at Ole Miss from 1947 to 1974, was honored on January 3 as one of four charter members of the Mississippi Athletic Trainers' Association (MATA) Hall of Fame.
Joining Knight as charter members were the late Werner J. "Dutch" Luchsinger, athletic trainer at Mississippi State (1948-64); Dr. E. Larry Harrington, retired athletic trainer and educator with The University of Southern Mississippi; and Dr. William C. Warner, Sr., long-time team physician and orthopedic surgeon with Mississippi State University.
Knight's son, Wes, accepted the award on behalf of his father while other members of the Knight family were also in attendance at The Clarion Hotel in Jackson, site of the MATA Symposium and Awards Luncheon. The luncheon was part of a three-day meeting and educational program for Certified Athletic Trainers (ATCs) across the state.
"These men dedicated their lives to the health and welfare of thousands of student-athletes and served as mentors for hundreds of present day sports medicine professionals," said Chad Barker, president of MATA. "The MATA is forever grateful for the service and dedication of these sports medicine legends and honors their contributions with membership into the MATA Hall of Fame."
The MATA's mission is to enhance the quality of health care for athletes and those engaged in physical activity, and to advance the profession of athletic training through education and research in the prevention, evaluation, management and rehabilitation of injuries.
Knight, who was inducted into The University of Mississippi Athletic Hall of Fame in 1988, was an Ole Miss institution. As the "father confessor," as well as trainer for 28 Rebel football teams, Knight's quiet, behind-the-scenes handling of Ole Miss athletes made him one of the most loved athletic officials ever at The University of Mississippi.
In addition to his training responsibilities, Knight served as Rebel track coach. He produced several unbeaten teams and his squads produced many Rebel track records.
During his tenure at Ole Miss, Knight served as president of the Southeastern Conference Trainers Association and of the NATA District Trainers Association in 1962-63. He received NATA's highest honor in 1969, when he was inducted into the Helms Athletic Foundation Trainers Hall of Fame. He was a former member of the Board of Directors of the National Trainers Association and a charter member of that association.
Following a share of three national football championships, six Southeastern Conference titles, numerous championships in baseball and a large collection of individual honors, Knight retired January 31, 1975, and was honored later that spring at the annual Red-Blue spring football game.
The athletic field house adjoining Vaught-Hemingway Stadium proudly bears his name and is part of the Michael S. Starnes Athletic Training Center.
Knight was a 1935 graduate of Springfield College with a B.S. degree in Health and Physical Education. He had additional study from the Eastern School of Physiotherapy and Bellevue Hospital, both in New York City, and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Knight served as trainer and physiotherapist, an instructor in physical instruction and assistant track coach at several institutions before joining the Ole Miss staff in 1947. He was associated with the Hill School, Pottstown, Pa., in 1935-37; Rensselaer Tech in 1938-45; and Williams College, Williamstown, Mass., in 1946.
In addition, he was track coach and assistant director of physical education in the Naval V-5 program at Rensselaer Tech in 1943-44, and later for the Naval Prep Program there. With his physical education work including special training in corrective, he helped set up programs for Naval students in their post and pre-convalescent periods.
A civil engineering student at Rhode Island State in 1928-30 and 1932, Knight competed in track for three seasons in the 220 and 440-yard events, and was team captain in 1932.
He was a native of Providence, R.I., and married the former Marion Kupp of Pottstown, Pa. They had five children, David Knight of Oxford, Susan K. Gibson of Bozeman, Mont., Eugene Knight of Oxford, Wes Knight of Jackson, and Catherine (Mrs. Barry R. Smith) of Oxford.
