NATA Hall of Fame

Eddie Abramoski was head athletic trainer for the Buffalo Bills from the team's inception in 1960 until he retired in 1997. A native of Erie, Penn., he turned to sports medicine after a promising football career was cut short by a back injury at Purdue University. Abramoski was an assistant at West Point before going to the University of Detroit and the Detroit Lions. He is retired and lives in New York.

Beginning while he worked for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Eugene “Doc” Harvey continuously enhanced his skills as a dedicated rehabilitation specialist. Before moving to Brooklyn and later Los Angeles with the Dodgers, was an athletic trainer in Colorado and Montreal, Canada. Known as a hard worker who kept his players in excellent condition, Harvey supervised the athletic training and rehabilitative facility at Grambling State University until retiring in 1998. Harvey passed away May 22, 2012.

unknown

Only the second head athletic trainer in the history of the University of Missouri, Fred Wappel worked at the school for 41 years before retiring in 1996. He had the longest tenure of any Missouri athletic staff member and was the dean of Big Eight athletic trainers. He was a charter member of the Missouri Sports Medicine Hall of Fame in 1984. Wappel is retired and living in Columbia, Mo.

1929 - 2012

Founding member George Anderson was the head athletic trainer for the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders from 1960-94; he was part of the original Raiders staff. Before joining the Raiders, Anderson served in athletic training positions at USC, Odessa (Texas) High School and the University of California. Known for his “tell-it-like-it-is” style, he achieved nationwide recognition in 1978 for the revolutionary design of a protective knee brace.

1921 - 2005

After receiving his bachelor's and master's degrees from Georgia Tech, Henry “Buck” Andel was the head athletic trainer from 1948-69, taking the football team to 14 major bowl games. He also worked as an athletic trainer for the 1960 Olympic Games and was a founding member of NATA, serving on the original board of directors in 1950.

1919 - 2014

One of the founders of the Athletic Trainers of Massachusetts Association (ATOM), Bill Samko began his athletic training career as a student athletic trainer at Holy Cross College under Bart Sullivan. In 1946, after a brief time in military service, he returned to Holy Cross to serve as an athletic trainer until 1966. At that time, he entered his current position as head athletic trainer at Worcester Academy. The same year, the New England Basketball Association named him Trainer of the Year. In 1983, Bill headed the committee for the Licensure of Massachusetts athletic trainers.

NATA President #3

A strong proponent of service, Bill Chambers helped build NATA. He served two terms as president, two terms on the board, chaired four national meetings and managed exhibits for many district meetings. Chambers built the Foundation scholarship program into a multimillion-dollar endeavor. He began as a student under Ken Rawlinson at the University of Oklahoma. In June 1962, he became head athletic trainer at Fullerton Junior College, where he remained until retiring in 1998. He now works with rodeo and motor sports.

NATA President #5

Jerry Rhea entered the profession in 1958 as a student at Texas A&M. He was NATA president from 1986-87 and was instrumental in laying the groundwork for growth. Rhea was head athletic trainer for the Atlanta Falcons from 1968-94, when he became assistant to the president of the Falcons. Now retired, Rhea mentors young professionals and new leaders.

1924 - 1992

Known as a tireless worker who demanded perfection, Larry Lohr began his athletic training career in 1958. He worked for numerous high schools in Texas and was inducted into the Southwest Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame in 1985. For many years, Lohr held three-day sports injury clinics in Mexico, helping the profession grow internationally.

1915 - 1990

One of the more colorful personalities in Nebraska athletic history, “Schnitz,” as he was known to thousands of Cornhuskers, served on the Nebraska staff for 33 years before retiring in 1981. He received the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame Merit Award in 1978. In 1956, Schneider was made a lifetime member of the Nebraska Coaches Association for his service to high school athletics.