Romeo Capozzi, known as “Rome or Doc,” served the athletes of Gettysburg College, South Central Pennsylvania and Northern Maryland for forty-one years. Rome’s ability and willingness to help injured athletes spread by word of mouth to athletes and coaches in the area. Rome attended Pennsylvania State University in Philadelphia to become an engineer. He worked for a short time for the city of Philadelphia, building the municipal field complex presently known as Franklin Field. Rome worked with Olympic coach Jim Larson at the University of Pennsylvania, until Hen Bream brought him to Gettysburg College in 1927. Rome was never on the faculty at Gettysburg College, but though his actions he pioneered the vocation of athletic training. He promoted his vocation by helping high school, college, professional and amateur athletes throughout the two state areas. Rome demanded the respect of all coaches he worked with and all the athletes that he treated. He encouraged his philosophy of athletic training by speaking with coaches and stressing the importance of conditioning their athletes. Rome was very talented, a series of freehand anatomical drawings that he produced are still displayed in the athletic training room at Gettysburg College with the originals in the Gettysburg College archives. Rome retired from Athletic Training in 1971 after forty-one years at Gettysburg College and passed away three years later. He mentored students such as Gareth “Lefty” Biser, a founding father of PATS.

Dr. Michael Cordas, the ultimate friend, in the eyes of the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers Society, is a Pennsylvania boy through and through. He is a graduate of Susquehanna University and the Medical School at Philadelphia School of Osteopathic Medicine. He currently serves the athletes and people of Harrisburg and Central Pennsylvania as Director of Sports Medicine for the Arlington Group in Harrisburg. Before arriving in Harrisburg, he was the Team Physician and Medical Director at Susquehanna University and the team physician for football and wrestling at The Pennsylvania State University (1994-97).

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Dr. Cordas is Board Certified in Family Practice and has a deep-seated interest in the youth of our State and Country. Since 1986 he has served on the Governor’s Council of Physical Fitness and Sports. He has been a member the PATS, Medical Board of Advisors since 1994 and has served as Advisor to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association since 1980. Dr. Cordas has been the, Chief Medical Officer at the Pennsylvania Keystone Games for fourteen years. He also has served as the Event Physician for the P.I.A.A. State Wrestling Championships since 1986, Football and Track Championships since 1993.

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Dr. Cordas was instrumental in aiding the PATS legislative efforts during the past ten years. He served on PATS committees, attended meetings, luncheons and testified before State Senate committees on our behalf. His support of the field of athletic training was deeply felt in the legislative arena.

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Dr. Cordas presently serves on the faculty of Penn State College of Medicine and is the Director of Sports Medicine, Performance Sports Medicine Division of the Arlington Group in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

George “Speed” Ebersole grew up in Lower Paxton. He played Football for famous high school coaches Roscoe Warner and Dick Gracie. As a high school student Speed remembers wrapping and taping ankles for his fellow athletes. This was an interest that he pursued and promoted through his whole life although not his vocation.He graduated Lower Paxton High School 1942 and immediately enlisted in the Navy. He was trained as a Pharmacist mate and served in the Pacific Theater. He is a combat veteran of five beachheads in the south pacific, serving with Company C, 1st Marine Division. He left active duty in 1946 and returned to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He returned to LowerPaxton High School now known as Central Dauphin High School as their athletic trainer. He served Central Dauphin athletes and athletes from many of the surrounding schools of the Central Pennsylvania area for 54 years. Speed retired from Central Dauphin High School in 2000. Speed will tell you that he did start getting paid $500.00 after a while. Speed was grandfathered into the NATA. He used his military training as well as learning from such friends as Bruce Vogelsong, Dick Burkholder and Otho Davis to remain current in the athletic training field. His concern for his athletes and the way he treated them has inspired many of his students to become athletic trainers and physicians. Speed has worked with athletes at all levels, but fondly recalls being brought to a New York Jet’s game by one of his ex-athletes, Mickey Schuler. Speed certainly paved the way for us that were to follow.