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.