Larry Willock is New Mexico's own first Athletic Trainer. Raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico Larry came to the University of New Mexico in 1964 to become a student athletic trainer under his soon to be mentor L. F. "Tow" Diehm. Larry became the first student athletic trainer to take course work in the soon to be created Athletic Trainer Curriculum program established as one of the first in the nation; which eventually became today's Major course of studies in Athletic Training. Among other firsts for Larry is that he was one of the first candidates to sit for the newly created Certification examination in Athletic Training designed by the National Athletic Trainers Association in 1969. Larry earned both his Bachelor's and Master's Degrees at the University of New Mexico. A valuable member of the UNM sports medicine team Larry served for the next twenty-five years as an Assistant Athletic Trainer and then as Head Athletic Trainer. Larry was a leader in establishing the New Mexico Athletic Trainers' Association and served as its first President.

Larry has been a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association since 1965. He has served District 7 and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Trainers Association as its secretary, its treasurer, as Chairperson of the Placement Committee, and as a member of the District Board of Directors. Larry also served as Chairman of the New Mexico Athletic Trainers (Advisory) Practice Board. During his tenure as an instructor in the sports medicine curriculum at UNM over 100 students have gone on from his mentorship to become athletic trainers. Larry has always been available to both his students and his athletes as both a teacher and athletic trainer.

Honors for Larry include, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame, the New Mexico Athletic Trainers' Association Hall of Fame, the National Athletic Trainers Association Educator of the Year Award, and the New Mexico High School Coaches Association Distinguished Service Award.

Currently Larry is the Head Athletic Trainer at the United States Air Force Academy a job that he has taken on after leaving the University of New Mexico after 30 years as a student, assistant, and Head Athletic Trainer. Larry's two daughters and grandchildren still live in the Albuquerque area.