Upper Iowa University Athletics

Darrel Lang, class of 1970, is being (was) inducted into the Upper Iowa University Athletic Hall of Fame in the athlete category. He was a four-year letterman in football and a three-year starter at tackle for the Peacocks. Lang was named to the All-IIAC First Team in 1967 and repeated the honor in 1968 at defensive tackle. He sustained an injury during his senior year, missing a great portion of the schedule.

Following graduation from Upper Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and health, Lang started his professional career in health education in interscholastic teaching at Camden, N.Y., and the Turkey Valley Community School at Jackson Junction, Iowa. He earned a Master of Science degree in health education at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, and a Doctorate of Education degree from Oklahoma State University in 1985. The past 20 years have been spent in higher education, with positions at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, and associate professor and director of health promotion and wellness at Emporia State University from 1980-1992. From 1992-1996, Lang was chair of physical education and health at the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh. He is currently the health and physical education consultant at Kansas State University, Department of Education, in Topeka, Kansas.

Throughout his career, he has had over two dozen articles published, refereed presentations and been a consultant and grant writer for external funding at the elementary, secondary and university levels.

A native of New Hampton, Iowa, and a graduate of New Hampton High School, Lang was an All-State football player while also competing in basketball and baseball.

He and his wife, LaDell (Field) Lang, class of 1970, reside in Emporia, Kan. They are the parents of a son, Matt, and a daughter, Michelle.