PENNSYLVANIA
ATHLETIC TRAINERS'
SOCIETY
CLASS OF 2015
After earning his degree from his beloved University of Michigan in 1980,AJ enrolled at the University of Arizona and graduated one year later with a Master of Science Degree. A.J. Duffy quickly made his way to Pennsylvania for an assistant athletic trainer's position at Temple University and shortly thereafter in 1984 earned a Certificate of Proficiency in Physical Therapy from Hahnemann University. His current roles include serving as an Athletic Trainer, a Physical Therapist, an adjunct professor, and loves to serve the profession of which he has so much pride.
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Mr. Duffy has taught students in both athletic training and physical therapy education curricula at the University of Michigan, Temple, Widener, Hahnemann and Wayne State Universities. A.J has also practiced as a clinical athletic trainer assuming many roles over the years. He was the Assistant Athletic Trainer at Temple University (1981-1983), Assistant Athletic Trainer and Physical Therapist at The University of Michigan (1984-1990) and then went to Widener University in 1990 as the Head Athletic Trainer/ Physical Therapist, where he remains today.
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A.J. has always been proud to be an Athletic Trainer and to promote this profession. From the time he came back to Pennsylvania he became active in the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers' Society. AJ has served on the Education Committee (1991-1993), was elected Secretary for two terms from 1993-1997, and from 2000 -2002 chaired the Pennsylvania Athletic Training Hall of Fame Committee. This committee inducted the first PATS HOF Cl ass and established the first criteria for their consideration. Mr. Duffy has served not only the PATS, EATA and NATA District II but also works in his community and local campus activities. Some of A.J.'s achievements include serving as the President of both PATS and EATA, as well as the Director of NATA District 2.
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He was voted the NATA"Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award" in 2001, the 2003 EATA Cramer Award winner, the 2005 Philadelphia Sports Medicine Congress Ted Quedenfeld Award recipient, the 2007 Donald Grover Award by the EACA and was the 20II NCAA Division III Athletic Trainer of the Year Award. Most recently in 2013, AJ received the PATS Distinguished Merit Award.
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AJ has had the honor of presenting on various topics at the local, regional and national levels. He presented at the NATA Convention in 2000 on "The Treatment of the HIV Athlete"and in 2003 on "Chest Pains in Football Players." At the 2012 EATA Convention and PATS Symposium, AJ educated attendees about "The Transgendered Athlete in Collegiate Sports".
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AJ Duffy has served in many leadership positions in PATS. He has increased the productivity of our organization by streamlining our policies and procedures and made our Commonwealth better with his thought provoking and influential ideas. AJ always has the organization that he serves at the top of his priority list. We thank him for his work as an Athletic Trainer, a Physical Therapist, a teacher and a leader. He is recognized as a, "go to, do it" leader at all the levels of the athletic training profession.
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AJ is also very active in his community. He has served on the Board of Directors of Voices for Children. He is a member of the Citizens 4rn of July Association of Norwood, PA, served as a member of the Interboro Education Association and as the Medical Coordinator for the Head Strong Foundation that sponsors a Lacrosse Game to raise money for Blood Cancer Research. AJ serves as the Coordinator of MAC ATaCk on Hunger, a coordinated effort by all the ATs in the Middle Atlantic Conference to collect food or money for local food banks.
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AJ has been married to Monica for 27 years. They are empty nesters, both of their children having graduated from college: A. Joseph IV, from Michigan State University and Connor Gabriel, from Catholic University.
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A good friend writes of AJ, "that he is totally unselfish and puts his whole heart and soul into making Pennsylvania and the Athletic Training profession number one." AJ we thank you for your hard work and devotion to our profession, especially in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is our honor and pleasure to welcome Mr. A.J. Duffy to the Pennsylvania Athletic Training Hall of Fame, Class of 2015.
To some, Mr. John Norwig is "living the dream." lie was raised in Hanover, Pennsylvania, attended Southwestern High School and then attended The Pennsylvania State University where he earned both his Bachelor's Degree in Health and Physical Education and Master 's Degree in Health Education. His mentors and instructors, including Bud Miller and Lindsey McLane, ignited a spark in him to become an Athletic Trainer. He graduated from Penn State University (1979) and assumed the position of Head Athletic Trainer at nearby Bellefonte High School. During the next five years he returned to Penn State University as an Assistant Athletic Trainer.
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In the summer of 1984, John served as an Assistant Athletic Trainer for the San Francisco 49er's Football Club during training camp. John was gaining experience at many levels and in 1985 he assumed the role as the Head Athletic Trainer for Vanderbilt University until 1991, before returning to Pennsylvania and the position of Head Athletic Trainer for the Pittsburgh Steelers Football Club, a position that he still holds today.
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John has been involved in the NATA and in PATS over the years serving as PATS Public Relation Committee Chair (1993-96) and on the NATA Education Council Continuing Education subcommittee. He was also part of the 1990 Role Delineation Study. John has represented the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania well as President of the Professional Football Athletic Trainers' Society from 2008 to 2014. Mr. Norwig has spearheaded communications with the NATA, Board of Directors, the contribution fund for eight NATA scholarships, the "Heads Up Program", and developing funds for high school athletic trainers for secondary schools in the NFL cities.
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Under John's direction and leadership, the Pittsburgh Steelers was the first NFL Franchise to hire a full-time female Athletic Trainer on their staff.
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John believes that as Athletic Trainers at the professional level improve the care they provide, these advancements will trickle down to younger levels of athletics. He has lectured locally, nationally, and internationally about many topics, mostly with the core theme of safety and protection of our athletes. He has often presented at PATS and the NATA conventions as well as locally in the community. He feels most comfortable and proud when he is speaking to Athletic Training students at nearby Duquesne University, Pittsburgh University, and Penn State University.
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John was awarded the NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award in 2007 and, in the same year, his staff was awarded the NFL Athletic Training Staff of the Year. In 2011, John was honored by his alma mater, Penn State University, as an Alumni fellow. Mr. Norwig is also one of a few Athletic Trainers that are Affiliate Members of the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine. Earlier this year he was honored by the National Football Physician's Society with the "Cain-Fain Award". This award is given to The National Football League Athletic Trainer of the Year.
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John and his wife Emily have been married for 28 years and they have three children: Erin, 22; Nicholas, 19; and Luke, 16. Any time that John gets, he spends with his family and wishes he always had more. It is with great pleasure that we congratulate and welcome Mr. John Norwig to the Pennsylvania Athletic Training Hall of Fame, Class of 2015.