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John Morr
A native of south central Illinois, John Morr graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Health Education with an emphasis in Athletic Training in 1986 from Eastern Illinois University. He completed the certification exam successfully in June of 1986 and became a certified member of NATA. During his time at Eastern Illinois, he worked with track and field, cross country, and football, additionally completing the regimen for a teaching degree in Health Education. He also worked with the Chicago Cubs baseball team’s rookie league squad in Pikeville, KY in the summer seasons of 1983 and 1984 and with the St. Louis Cardinals football team during the summer of 1986.
Initially, John was hired by Palatine High School as a substitute teacher and athletic trainer. Following that, he worked alongside Dr. Peter Bonutti in establishing a sports medicine athletic training program to local high school athletes in rural Illinois.
John obtained his Master’s Degree from the University of Kentucky in 1995. During his years as a graduate assistant under Al and Sue Green, he assisted with gymnastics, swimming and diving, and football. He was then hired to work with women’s basketball at Kentucky. With the recommendation from C. M. Newton, John was hired by the University of Alabama in 1996 working with the men’s basketball team. He had the honor of overseeing multiple sports and working alongside legendary athletic trainers and physicians as well as mentoring incredible students during his twenty years at Alabama.
He had the privilege to serve the Illinois Athletic Training Association, Kentucky Athletic Training Society, and the Alabama Athletic Training Associations in various positions during his professional journey. He became a part of the ALATA executive board as an At-Large representative from 2007-2010 as well as SEC Sports Medicine Advisory Committee from 2008-2010, and then serving as ALATA President for two terms from 2010-2014.
He was the recipient of the SEATA Backbone Award in 2002 and the ALATA Chris King Award of Merit in 2018.
John is married to Dr. Margaret Morr. The couple and their two wonderful sons, William and Jacob reside in Scottsboro, Alabama.
Christopher "Mike" Jones
A native of New Augusta, MS, Christopher “Mike” Jones graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education in 1997 from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. While an Athletic Training Student, Mike was the recipient of the UAB Inaugural Football Scholarship in 1993 and the Gene Bartow Undergraduate Academic Scholarship in 1996. He then went on to receive a Master of Arts in Health Education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1998 while serving as a Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer for the football and volleyball teams.
After leaving UAB, he went to the University of Cincinnati to work as an Assistant Athletic Trainer for the football team until 1999. He returned to UAB where he managed healthcare for the football team, working through the ranks, eventually becoming Associate Athletic Director and Head Athletic Trainer until 2016. Mike has served the Alabama Athletic Trainers’ Association in numerous capacities: Public Relations Chairman (1999-2004), Governmental Affairs Committee member (2000-2010), Vice-President (2003-2010). He has also served as Secretary (2011-2014), Vice Chairman (2014-2016), and Chairman (2016-2018) of the Alabama State Board of Athletic Training. From 2003 to 2006, Mike also served on the UAB National Alumni Society Board of Directors.
Since leaving the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Mike has served as the Executive Director of Safety 360, a non-profit company aimed at decreasing and preventing the number and severity of trauma and injuries in the active world we live in by developing equipment and standards and educating proper use through safety courses and fittings. Safety 360’s programs promote collaboration, research, education, and safety in the lives of children, teens, and adults across the world.
Mike has been recognized by the Alabama Athletic Trainers’ Association as the ALATA Service Award recipient in 2002, and the Award of Merit twice, in 2004 and 2008. He was a member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, Southeastern Athletic Trainers’ Association, and College Athletic Trainers’ Society.
Mike and his wife Amy reside in Helena, AL with their pups Zeke “the Doberman” and Zane “the Great Dane.” They both have three children, Sydney Foshee (Birmingham), Kerrigan (Marietta, GA), and Mackenzie (Marietta, GA).
Jarod Grace
A native of Albertville, AL, Jarod Grace is a 1999 graduate of Auburn University with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science. While obtaining his hours for the internship route to becoming a certified athletic trainer, he served as a student athletic trainer for the sports of swimming, volleyball, football, baseball, basketball and track and field. He has been a member of the NATA since 1995 and certified athletic trainer since 2000. During his time as a student at Auburn, Jarod was a summer athletic training intern for the Atlanta Falcons Football Club leading up to the 1997, 1998 and 1999 seasons.
After completing an athletic training internship with Disney's Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Grace began as a graduate assistant at the University of South Carolina under NATA Hall of Fame member Dr. Rod Walters. Jarod provided care for the football and equestrian teams and taught in the athletic training curriculum. He later became the interim men's basketball athletic trainer and in 2002 he earned a MS in Physical Education from USC.
In 2002, Jarod returned to Auburn as the women’s basketball athletic trainer, a position he served in for 2 seasons. In 2005 he became the athletic trainer for the men’s basketball team, a position he held for the next 8 seasons. During his time at Auburn, Jarod oversaw the coverage and medical care of each of the Olympic Sports.
In 2012, Jarod moved into a sales position with Medco Sports Medicine where he covered the southeastern portion of the US. He was the Patterson Medical Sales Incentive award winner in 2013 and 2014 for the highest earning territory within the company. In May of 2015, Jarod followed the legendary Skeeter Schuessler in becoming the Manager of Team Sports in the Southeast for Gatorade.
Jarod began his leadership service to ALATA in 2002 by filling an unfinished term on the Executive Council. Serving on the council for 12 years, he assisted in planning the annual ALATA Meeting and Symposium, oversaw the College and University Committee and the Corporate/Industrial Committee, and attended multiple Hit the Hill Legislative Days in Montgomery.
Jarod is the 2018 recipient of the ALATA Sponsors Award. Jarod continues to be a partner and presenter at local, state and national levels on a variety of medical and athletic business topics.
Jarod is married to Albertville native, Becca Cunningham Grace. They have 2 children, Mary Alderson and Carter. The family currently resides in Auburn, AL.
Karen Straub Stanton
A native of Georgia, Karen Straub Stanton is a 1998 graduate of the University of Georgia where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Sport Science and her NATA BOC certification. She went on to earn her Masters of Sports Health Care from what is now known as A.T. Still University (formerly Arizona School of Health Sciences) in 2000.
While in Arizona, she earned the National Strength and Conditioning Association's Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification and completed her training as an EMT-Basic. Following Arizona, she managed an outreach program for high schools and special event programing in the New Orleans area, including teaching a basic course in athletic training at 2 of local high schools. She came to Alabama in 2001 as the Assistant Athletic Trainer for the University of West Alabama, with clinical assignments football, baseball, and softball in conjunction to overseeing other varsity spots and teaching in the professional education athletic training program. She quickly earned the position as Associate Athletic Trainer/ Clinical Coordinator. While at UWA, she was named Alabama Athletic Trainers’ Association (ALATA) Collegiate Athletic Trainer of the Year in 2004.
In fall of 2005, she began her position Auburn University as an Assistant Athletic Trainer with primary responsibility of the football team. Since that time, she has served the student athletes and the department in the positions of physician extender, volleyball, and, currently, the equestrian team. In 2011, she was distinguished with the ALATA Award of Merit and then again in 2014 for her service to the profession of athletic training and the athletes they advocate for. In May 2019, Karen earned her doctorate in Higher Education Administration from Auburn University with her final dissertation entitled Financial Management of Medical Care Expenses of Student-Athletes in Institutions of Higher Education.
She is no stranger to professional service, beginning her service in Alabama to ALATA in 2001 by volunteering and eventually becoming elected to the ALATA Executive Board. Over the years, she has served in the positions of non-officer, Treasurer and Vice President, with short interim terms as Secretary and President. In addition, she has served SEATA District IX through committees and, currently, as the Research Coordinator of SEATA’s student symposium ATSS. She has been selected to present at local, state, district, and national levels on a variety of professional topics.
Karen is married to Nate Stanton of Illinois. The couple and their 3 amazing children, Ezra, Kalynn and Noah, reside in Auburn, Alabama.
Ed Harris
Edwin (Ed) Harris joined the ranks of athletic training profession in 1985 after graduating from the University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Science degree in HPER in 1984 and Master of Arts in Exercise Physiology from University of Alabama-Birmingham in 1987. He began his service as assistant athletic trainer at Samford University in the fall of 1985 under Chris Gillespie. Ed continued to take on more responsibilities as the Samford Athletic program and first NATABOC Athletic Training Education Program in the state continued to grow moving to position of Associate Athletic Trainer and Assistant Program director in 1990. Ed continued in this position until the summer of 1996, teaching several athletic training education classes each year in coordination with his responsibilities with sports medicine coverage of the athletic program.
In the summer of 1996 Ed accepted the job as Head Football athletic trainer at UAB under UAB Sports Medicine and Drew Ferguson. The next four years Ed was responsible for the medical care of the football student athletes along with managing the staff of one assistant and three GA assistant athletic trainers at UAB.
In the summer of 2000 Ed accepted a position with HealthSouth Corporation as clinical- outreach athletic trainer and working with various high schools in the Birmingham area with his primary responsibility being McAdory High School. Upon arrival at HealthSouth, he took on management duties with HealthSouth organizing various events and athletic trainer’s schedules in outreach coverage. In addition, his duties also included outpatient therapy, biodex testing, pre-participation physicals, physician coverage in clinics, weekly route coverage to area high schools for injury evaluation.
HealthSouth exited the athletic training outreach market in 2005, however, Ed continued his athletic training service to the community with the newly formed Champion Sports Medicine in a management role and continued as athletic trainer at McAdory High School until 2011. In August 2011, Ed began working with Homewood High School on behalf of Champion Sports Medicine and in conjunction with Greg Pendley the athletic trainer at Homewood HS since 1989. Ed’s role at Homewood focused on maintaining relationship with Homewood’s team physicians at Andrews Sports Medicine, scheduling and assisting parents with physician appointments, tracking, and recording injuries, and management of rehabilitation for the athletes, along with athletic event coverage.
Ed Harris has served his profession over the years volunteering at the local, district, and national level. Ed served on ALATA executive council and as vice president from 1995 – 1999; and continued to his work with the annual ALATA meeting over the next decade as exhibit chairman. Ed was involved at the national level as a NATA examiner early in his career which led to working with the Board of Certification as a test-site administrator from 1990-2007. Ed was awarded the SEATA Backbone Award in 1994, the NATA 15 year Distinguish Service Award in 2006, the ALATA Clinical Athletic Trainer of Year award in 2011. Ed Harris also earned his 25-year NATA Service Award.
In the fall of 2020, Ed became full-time employee of Homewood City Schools as teacher/athletic trainer and Director of Sports Medicine.
Ed’s service to the athletic training profession would not have been possible without the support of his wife of 30 years Paula Harris, and their two children, daughter Aubrey Harris Moore, and son Benjamin Harris.
Theodore Childs
Assistant Athletic Trainer, Baltimore Colts 1957-1962
Assistant Athletic Trainer, New York Jets 1962-1963
Professor of Health Science and Athletic Trainer, Long Island University 1963-1977
Associate Professor and Health Director, Tuskegee University 1977-1983
Associate Professor of Health and Physical Education, Alabama State University 1983-1985
Athletic Trainer, World Games for Cerebral Palsy 1985, 1986
Member of US Olympic Committee, Athletic Trainer, Olympic Games 1988, 1992
Athletic Trainer, US Cerebral Palsy Championship 1991
Athletic Trainer, US Cerebral Palsy Team, World International Games, Para-Olympics 1994
Inducted into Shaw College Sports Hall of Fame 1995
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