Three former NFL athletic trainers selected to receive 'Awards of Excellence'

Honorees will be recognized June 25-26 in Canton; two other groups remain to name recipients in 2025 class

The third of five groups that selects honorees as part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s annual Awards of Excellence program has made its choices for the Class of 2025. 

Former NFL athletic trainers Ed Block, Pepper Burruss and John Norwig will be honored in the Awards of Excellence’s fourth class. Their selection brings to 14 the number in the Athletic Trainers category.

A cocktail dinner and awards luncheon to celebrate the careers of Block, Burruss and Norwig will take place in Canton on June 25-26.

Prior to joining the Baltimore Colts as head athletic trainer in 1954, Block earned a Purple Heart for his service and bravery while serving under Gen. George S. Patton in World War II. His experiences during the war shaped his resilience and commitment to helping others.

Invited to join the Colts by head coach WEBB EWBANK, Block cared for legendary players like Hall of Famers RAYMOND BERRY, LENNY MOORE and JOHNNY UNITAS through a career that continued until 1977. In 1974, he was inducted into the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) Hall of Fame.

Block will be remembered as one of the most educated and innovative athletic trainers of his era. He devoted much of his life to improving the lives of children, particularly those who faced adversity. His belief in supporting and uplifting others inspired the creation of the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation, an organization dedicated to recognizing NFL players who exemplify sportsmanship and courage, as well as supporting programs that benefit abused and neglected children.

Burruss transformed a childhood fascination with athletic logistics and emergency medicine into an extraordinary 42-year NFL career. He began his pro football journey with the New York Jets in 1977 as an assistant athletic trainer, and during his 16 seasons with the Jets, he helped earn the NFL’s inaugural "Athletic Training Staff of the Year" award and played a key role in the emergency care of player Dennis Byrd, contributing to his miraculous recovery from a spinal injury.

In 1993, he joined the Green Bay Packers as Head Athletic Trainer, modernizing the team’s medical operations and building a legacy of excellence. Over 26 seasons in Green Bay, he helped the Packers win two Super Bowl championships and mentored a new generation of sports medicine professionals.

Burruss was named the NFL Physicians Society’s Outstanding NFL Athletic Trainer in 2012 and received numerous honors, including serving on the NFL Head, Neck and Spine Committee, throughout his career. He retired as the Packers’ Director of Sports Medicine Administration.

Norwig dedicated 43 years to athletic training, including 32 years as head athletic trainer for the Pittsburgh Steelers. With the Steelers, he achieved milestones such as hiring the NFL's first full-time female athletic trainer in 2002. He was inducted into the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers’ Hall of Fame in 2015. He also received the prestigious Fain-Cain Memorial Award, given annually to the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society member who best reflects the virtues of a certified athletic trainer and displays the highest level of professionalism, from the NFL Physicians Society the same year.

Norwig served as president of the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society (PFATS) from 2008-2014 and earned numerous accolades, including the National Athletic Trainers’ Association's Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award in 2008. He began his career in high school athletics, then served at Penn State, Vanderbilt University and the San Francisco 49ers before joining the Steelers.

About the Awards of Excellence

The Pro Football Hall of Fame established the Awards of Excellence in 2022 to recognize significant contributors to the game in “behind-the-scenes” roles. In addition to public relations personnel, the program honors career Assistant Coaches plus Athletic Trainers, Equipment Managers and Film/Video Directors. These groups will make and announce their selections for the Class of 2025 at various times over the next few months.

The five groups presenting the Awards of Excellence created their own selection committees and set their own criteria for choosing new members. The Hall of Fame does not participate in any nominating or voting. 

Also at next year’s awards luncheon, the Pro Football Hall of Fame will honor the winner of its annual photo contest. Photographs taken during the 2024 National Football League season in the “Action” and “Feature” categories and entered in the contest are eligible for awards. A panel of professional photographers will judge the entries and pick first-, second- and third-place finishers in each category. 

The Photograph of the Year — chosen from the first-place winners in the Action and Feature categories — will be deemed winner of the 57th annual Dave Boss Award of Excellence. That photographer will be invited to Canton for the June 25-26 program, and his/her image will be placed on display in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.