Pro Football Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow Sr. has been named vice president for athletics and wellness at Lakeland College in Sheboygan.
Winslow was introduced by Lakeland president Michael Grandillo Thursday at the college’s Todd Wehr Athletic Center.
Lakeland is an NCAA Division III member institution, and the Muskies are a member of the Northern Athletics Conference. Founded in 1862, Lakeland is a private, applied liberal arts college serving approximately 3,600 students.
Winslow, 54, will serve as Lakeland’s director of athletics. He will also lead development of a college-wide focus on wellness designed to help all students understand how lifestyle choices they make in college impact their personal health and their ability to get a job after college.
“This role at Lakeland fulfills two things I’ve been looking for – a place where I can continue to be involved in athletics and to implement a comprehensive student wellness plan,” said Winslow, who becomes the 11th person to lead Lakeland athletics since intercollegiate athletics was organized in 1932.
“President Grandillo shares my vision and is giving me his support in making the vision a reality. Athletics is a major portion of campus life and community engagement,” Winslow said.
Winslow and Grandillo met approximately four years ago when Grandillo was Tiffin University’s vice president for development and public affairs. Grandillo started as Lakeland president in July.
To most, Winslow is best known for revolutionizing the tight end position while playing for the San Diego Chargers from 1979 to 1987. A fixture in San Diego head coach Don Coryell’s passing-oriented offense, Winslow transitioned the position from primarily a line blocker to a major part of the offense. He led the NFL in receptions in 1980 and 1981 and had three 1,000-plus yard seasons.
At the time of his retirement, Winslow ranked fifth among active receivers and 14th among all NFL pass-catchers. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995.
Prior to coming to Lakeland, Winslow served four years as athletic director at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. He helped the school, an athletic independent for decades, become a founding member of the Great-Midwest Athletic Conference and a member of the football-only Great Lakes Valley Conference.|
“Kellen’s accomplishments on the football field speak for themself, and we’re obviously excited to have such an accomplished athlete leading our athletic department,” Grandillo said. “But that’s not why we hired him. In the four years we have known each other, we’ve had a number of discussions about ways to ensure that college students – especially first generation college students – have success.
