Affectionately referred to as “Joe Bird” by Vanderbilt athletes, Joe Worden enters the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame as one of the most respected and beloved staff members in the history of Vanderbilt Athletics. In 1984 he received the highest honor given by his peers when he was inducted into the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Fame. The Middle Tennessee Chapter of the National Football Hall of Fame added his name to their illustrious list of honorees in 1991. After receiving his high school diploma at Pflugerville High School in Texas, where he participated in various sports programs, he attended the University of Texas in Austin and graduated with a B.S. degree in Physical Education and a Masters Degree in Education. He had the unique opportunity to train under the legendary Frank Medina, a former U.S. Olympic Trainer. Joe was a member of the U.S. Marine Corps and saw action in Guam and the Marshall Islands during World War II. He officially retired at Vanderbilt in 1986, but continued to volunteer his services and never missed a game until his death in 1998. Two highly regarded awards have been named for the long time Vanderbilt trainer. The Joe Worden Tennessee Athletic Trainers’ Society Clinical Industrial Athletic Trainer Award is presented annually to an athletic trainer working in an industrial or clinical setting. The Joe L. Worden Courage Award is presented by the Middle Tennessee Chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame at their yearly banquet. Worden became Vanderbilt’s head trainer in 1949 and handled all sports until 1971 when he was assigned to specialize in football and men’s basketball. He continued to assist club sports, and in 1977 he began working with the newly created women’s intercollegiate athletic program. Joe is survived by his wife of 55 and a half years, Florine Krueger of Smithville, Texas, and was preceded in death by their three sons, Richard, Bill, and Jimmy.
