PFATS Member Spotlight
Bills’ Provide Opportunities to Female Athletic Training Interns
The Buffalo Bills training staff has earned a number of awards for its tireless work on the sidelines and in the training room over the years. However, this year the Bills staff received one of the most special and significant awards in the athletic training profession when the Pro Football Athletic Trainers Society in conjunction with Ed Block Courage Award Foundation named it the NFL Athletic Training Staff of the Year. The Ed Block Courage Award is named in honor of Ed Block, the longtime head athletic trainer of the Baltimore Colts who was a pioneer in his profession and a respected humanitarian.
"Far and away it's the greatest honor," said head athletic trainer Bud Carpenter. "When you're selected by your peers I think that speaks volumes. When somebody that's judging you does what you do for a living I think that's a great honor."
This is the first time Buffalo has been honored as the staff of the year, as they treated 17 Bills players that were placed on injured reserve this past season, the highest total in 15 years. The honor is voted on annually by NFL athletic trainers and has been awarded since 1985.
The Buffalo Bills training staff consists of head athletic trainer Bud Carpenter (23 seasons) and assistant athletic trainers Greg McMillen (12), Chris Fischetti (6) and Shone Gipson (4). The group has worked together for the past four years.
The Bills staff was formally presented with the award at the 30th annual national Ed Block Courage Awards Foundation ceremony on March 11 at Martin's West in Baltimore.
Also in attendance was Bills tight end Kevin Everett, who was the Bills team winner of the Ed Block Courage Award. He too was honored in the same ceremony as were 31 other team winners.
The efficient handling of Everett's potentially catastrophic cervical spine injury by the Bills athletic training staff is likely a large reason why they were chosen for their award. Just 11 days prior to the season opener the staff along with the medical team ran through a 90-minute spinal cord injury refresher drill to simulate treatment procedures in case a player suffered such an injury during a game.
"We did it for a reason," said Carpenter. "We're always hoping we never have to use it. We've had to use it a few times over the years and this one with Kevin was the most serious one we had. On the field we just rehearsed what we went over all those years. You always prepare for the worst. We were just lucky that we did exactly what we wanted to do and got him in the ambulance and gave the doctors a chance."
That's why it was special for the men on the Buffalo athletic training staff to share their recognition with Everett.
"It's was magnificent for us to be able to be a part of something where Kevin is being honored as well as us," said Carpenter. "To be able to see him receive his award given what his initial outlook was great."
Perhaps as inspiring as the Bills contingent and other award recipients, are the children who benefit for the work of the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation. The Ed Block Courage Award Foundation promotes the prevention of child abuse by raising awareness of the epidemic and assisting agencies who provide for the care and treatment of abused children in communities throughout the NFL. With a network of 18 Courage Houses nationwide, the foundation has helped over 900,000 children in 29 years. As part of the weekend’s festivities, all of the recipients and their families visited the Baltimore Courage House at St. Vincent’s, spending the day with the children in residence, all victims of abuse and neglect. There, the honorees found while they were inspiring the children, they were being uplifted as well. “The opportunity to interact with the children throughout the day was an amazing experience. To see the smile on their faces when we were interacting with them is something I’ll never forget.”
“Having been in involved in athletic training at a variety of levels for abut 25 years, I can truly say that the Ed Block foundation, the work they do with the Courage Houses and the awards ceremony was one of the highest honors to receive and one of the most rewarding experiences that I have been associated with,” added Fischetti.
McMillen was very touched by their time spent at the Courage House as well, calling it “very gratifying. We were able to spend time and play with many children. Being selected staff of the year and the way we were treated by the Ed Block staff and other recipients was something I will not forget.”
Upon reflecting about the weekend’s events, Carpenter summed it up, saying, “It was a great honor to represent our families, the Buffalo Bills, and PFATS at the recent Ed Block Awards. Having experienced the day to day struggles of the children of the Courage House certainly helps us keep our own daily struggles in perspective. To see and feel the support of the Courage House reinforces the need to continue to push to establish one in every NFL city.”
Reprinted by permission of Buffalobills.com
Jeff Tanaka contributed to this article