1913 - 1984
William Linskey was the first athletic trainer at Northeastern University. Linskey, a member of the athletic training staff for the 1959 Pan American Games, produced the monthly newsletter of the EATA for 17 years. He also served as the head athletic trainer at City of Cambridge Public Schools.
1893-1971
James “Doc” Johnston, an NATA founding member, inspired many students to pursue the profession. He got his start in athletic training in 1910 in the Oklahoma high school system. Johnston worked for Tulsa and Oklahoma State University as well as a number of semi-pro football teams, AAU tournaments and boxing clubs.
1909-1967
From his first job at William & Mary in 1932, William Ferrell went on to serve under four football coaches - Otis Douglas, Bowden Wyatt, Jack Mitchell and Frank Broyles - at the University of Arkansas. A speaker and author of athletic training practices and techniques, Ferrell was a Major League Baseball player prior to becoming an athletic trainer.
1907 - 1973
Steve Witkowski was a youngster helping build tennis courts at Wesleyan University when he met his mentor, Dr. Edgar Fauver. Over the next several years, Witkowski learned from the university physician and became Wesleyan's athletic trainer, a post he held for 30+ years. He was an athletic trainer for the 1956 and 1960 Olympics and the 1955 Pan-Am Games.
1901 - 1967
Allan Sawdy worked with high school, college and professional teams during his 38-year career, mostly at Bowling Green State University. In addition to his athletic training duties, Sawdy taught courses in first aid and prevention of athletic injuries.
1904 - 1978
James “Doc” Littlejohn was key to the success of the athletic training program at St. Lawrence University. Littlejohn, who joined St. Lawrence in 1926, was named to the prestigious list of Who's Who in American Education in 1964. The athletic training room at St. Lawrence is named in Littlejohn's honor.
1903-1999
The longtime University of Michigan head athletic trainer, Hunt designed the fiberglass “Michigan Heel Cup,” which has since been duplicated by various manufacturers. He also helped develop facemasks for hockey goalies and was an early proponent of the safety device, pushing for goalies to wear facemasks as early as 1951.
1898-1970
Charles “Smokey” Harper graduated from Mercer College in 1923 - still carrying the nickname he earned in high school when he set his baseball uniform on fire by hiding a lit cigar in the back pocket. Beginning his career in 1926 at Clemson, Harper worked at Vanderbilt, Florida and UCLA before teaming with Paul “Bear” Bryant and eventually retiring in 1964 from Texas A&M.
1903-1983
Jay Colville tended to what he called “the acres of athletes” at Miami University, starting as an undergraduate student in 1922 and not stopping until his retirement in 1969. Colville, a founding member of NATA, served a term as board chair and was an athletic trainer for the 1956 U.S. Olympic Team in Australia.
1902 - 1969
Edward G. Zanfrini's fame reached beyond Princeton University, where he began his career in 1933. Described as “the conscience of Princeton football,” Zanfrini was a member of the U.S. Olympic athletic training staff four times. In 1970, the Edward Zanfrini Memorial Room was dedicated to house trophies and awards given to the Tiger athletic trainer.