Joe Erdeljac inducted into state Athletic Trainer's Hall of Fame
Joe Erdeljac, Tennessee Tech’s Director of Sports Medicine and Head Athletic Trainer, was recently inducted into the Tennessee Athletic Trainers’ Society (TATS) Hall of Fame at the organization’s Annual Meeting at the Radisson Opryland Hotel.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn, -- Joe Erdeljac, Tennessee Tech’s Director of Sports Medicine and Head Athletic Trainer, was recently inducted into the Tennessee Athletic Trainers’ Society (TATS) Hall of Fame at the organization’s Annual Meeting at the Radisson Opryland Hotel.
The induction into the Hall of Fame is an honor conferred upon members who have distinguished themselves in the profession. Each of these people have been members who have worked in the state of Tennessee a minimum of 15 years and have demonstrated throughout their life’s work the highest level of devotion, professionalism and personal sacrifice to those they have served and cared for. This is the highest award bestowed on an athletic trainer by the Tennessee Athletic Trainers’ Society.
"This is an outstanding achievement for Joe to be recognized by his peers and we congratulate him for his induction into the TATS Hall of Fame," said Mark Wilson, TTU Director of Athletics.
Erdeljac has served as Head Athletic Trainer at Tech since July 2008, returning to the University after previously serving as an Assistant Athletic Trainer for seven years. In between his positions at Tech, he worked for nine years with high school athletes for the Cookeville Regional Medical Center.
A native of West Virginia, Erdeljac was at Tech from 1992 to 1999. During that time, he was the Athletics Trainer for the men's basketball team and worked with the student-athletes on all of Tech's teams.
He begin his career in 1988 while an undergraduate at the University of West Virginia. Upon graduation with a bachelor's degree in Science and Physical Education, he took a graduate assistant position at Austin Peay and received his master's degree 1989.
From there, he accepted his first full-time position as an Assistant Athletic Trainer at LaSalle University in Philadelphia, a post he held until being hired for a similar assignment at Tech.
After seven years at TTU, he accepted a position in 1999 with the Cookeville Regional Medical Center as Head Athletic Trainer for Upperman High School in Baxter, a position he held until his return to Tech.
During his time with CRMC, he was a volunteer athletic trainer at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, working with the basketball teams and other Olympic team members.
A member of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA), he is also in the Southeastern Athletic Trainers Association (SEATA) and served as both president and vice president of TATS.
He was appointed by the governor to the Tennessee Board of Athletic Trainers, where he is serving his second term and fills the role of chairman.
About the Tennessee Athletic Trainer’s Society:
TATS, the state organization of the National Athletic Trainer’s Association, is a non-profit organization compromised of over 300 athletic trainers across Tennessee. All of the members are nationally and state licensed health care providers recognized by the American Medical Association and regulated by the Tennessee Board of Athletic Trainers. For more information, visit www.tnata.org.
About the National Athletic Trainers’ Association:
Athletic trainers are health care professionals who specialize in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries and illnesses. The National Athletic Trainers’ Association represents and supports 32,000 members of the athletic training profession. NATA advocates for equal access to athletic trainers for patients and clients of all ages through the Athletic Trainers’ Equal Access to Medicare Act, HR 1137. NATA members adhere to a code of ethics. For more visit www.nata.org.