Order of Merit: Darryl MIller

Darryl Miller has worked as a medical volunteer for USA Wrestling since 1993. He served as the chief athletic trainer for USA Wrestling at the 1996 Olympics and was the head athletic trainer for USA Wrestling at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympics and the 2007 Pan American Games. He worked eight World Championships, four U.S. Olympic Trials and the U.S. Nationals from 1996 to 2005. He worked 12 World Cups while also working at the 1993 Minsk Dual, the 1995 Cerro Pelado tournament and the Krasnoyarsk tournament from 1996 to 1999.

Darryl made presentations on emergency procedures, skin lesions and CPR/First Aid for coaches at USA Wrestling clinics at the Bronze and Silver levels for several years. He was director of the high school outreach program at the University of Colorado-Denver from 1988 to 1995. He became the secondary education instructor of athletic training/emergency medicine and director of sports medicine for Denver Public Schools. He served as vice president of the Colorado Athletic Trainers' Association and Licensure Committee and as chairman for the National Strength and Conditioning Association's state clinic in Colorado.

For 28 years, Darryl volunteered to implement and organize the Denver Public Schools High School Thanksgiving Championship Wrestling Clinic, featuring NCAA champions and Olympic and World medalists as instructors. He also spent 16 years as the head athletic trainer for the Colorado High School All-State Games while serving as a volunteer for Special Olympics and Lift America. He received the Colorado High School Activities Association Distinguished Service Award, while also being named Denver Public Schools Distinguished Teacher of the Year and the recipient of the Lloyd Gasgill award from the Colorado High School Coaches Association. He is a member of the Denver Public Schools Athletic Hall of Fame and the Colorado Athletic Trainers' Association Hall of Fame.

In 1984, Darryl was named University of Wisconsin Athletic Trainer of the Year and received the HealthONE Community Partner award in 2001 and the National Athletic Trainers' Association Athletic Trainers Service Award in 2005. He received the Lifetime Service award from the Colorado Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2017.

He received his bachelor's degree with a double major in physical education and industrial education from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. He received his Master's in exercise physiology and National Athletic Trainers' Association Board of Certification from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Darryl was also co-director of the exercise physiology lab and the high school outreach athletic trainer. He served in the United States Marines Corps from 1971 to 1974, as a member of the Marine Corps Special Forces.

For his unprecedented volunteer efforts in state, national and international venues as an athletic trainer, educator and organizer, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame honors Darryl Miller with the Order of Merit for 2024.