Alumni Spotlight

Meet Brynn Johnson, MAT, LAT, ATC, CES

Seasonal Athletic Trainer-Detroit Lions

I grew up in Troy, Michigan—a suburb outside of metro-Detroit. I was an avid sports enthusiast and soccer player growing up, which introduced me to sports medicine. In high school, I took part in a two-week camp that was instructed by a high school athletic trainer. He introduced me to first aid, adult CPR, basic taping/bracing and how to make an ice bag. This allowed me to volunteer with my high school athletic trainer and the rest, as they say, is history.

I received my bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Florida Atlantic University, where I volunteered with the football team for 4 years. I was also a member of the Red Cross Club, Exercise Science Club, and member of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority. I graduated in summer 2017 but opted to take a year off from school to be home with my family during a difficult time.

I started at Baylor University in June 2018 and graduated in May 2020, having completed clinical rotations with Baylor Acrobatics & Tumbling, Football, and PT. I also completed clinical rotations with Belton High School football, MCH athletics, a summer immersion with the LA Rams in 2019, and fall immersion at Groves High School in Michigan. Upon graduation in 2020, I had accepted a position as a fellow for Harvard University’s Transition to Practice Program, but due to the pandemic, the position was dissolved as the Ivy League cancelled athletics that year.

In July of 2020, I accepted a position as the sole athletic trainer for Marlin ISD. There I provided coverage and care for all high school and middle school athletics. This 2A school had been operating on an outreach athletic trainer basis since 2012. I was their first fill-time athletic trainer hire since then. I worked at Marlin as an athletic trainer and substitute teacher until May of 2021, when I re-accepted an offer from Harvard for one of their fellowship positions.

At Harvard, I was a fellow in the Transition to Practice Program, a 12-month commitment, which was structued to allow for autonomous clinical care, but within the safety-net of a collaborative and knowledgeable staff. I was assigned to men’s and women’s water polo, but with the care model of the Harvard Sports Medicine Department, was able to work with a variety of athletes from the 42 varsity sports. I was a research assistant and data collector for an epidemiological concussion study for the B1G and Ivy League schools. I was able to get my certifications in both corrective exercises and SASTM.

In March of 2022, I accepted a seasonal (1 year) internship with the Detroit Lions, where I currently hold a position as the first female seasonal athletic training intern at the organization and the first and only female certified athletic trainer on staff.