Ronnie Barnes (American football)
{{Short description|American football player (born 1952)}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
|name=Ronnie Barnes
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|position=Athletic trainer
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1952|2|15}}
|birth_place=North Carolina, U.S.
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|college=East Carolina University, Michigan State University
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- ECU (1975)
Assistant athletic trainer - New York Giants ({{nfly|1976}}–{{nfly|1979}})
Athletic training intern - New York Giants ({{nfly|1980}})
Athletic trainer - New York Giants ({{nfly|1981}}–present)
Head athletic trainer - New York Giants (2009 - 2022)
Head Athletic Trainer and Senior Vice President of Medical Services
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|highlights=
- 4× Super Bowl champion (XXI, XXV XLII, XLVI)
- 2× National Professional Athletic Trainer of the Year (1983, 1987)
- ECU Athletics Hall of Fame (1990)
- National Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame (1999)
- New York Giants Ring of Honor
|current_team=New York Giants}}
Ronnie P. Barnes (born February 15, 1952) is an American football athletic trainer who is the head athletic trainer for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He is also their senior vice president of medical services, and has been with the organization since 1976. He graduated from East Carolina University in 1975, and was the first African-American head athletic trainer in the NFL.{{Cite web|url=https://giantswire.usatoday.com/2020/06/24/new-york-giants-confident-ronnie-barnes-can-guide-team-through-covid-19/|title=Giants confident Ronnie Barnes can guide team through COVID-19|date=June 24, 2020}}
Early life and education
Ronnie Barnes was born on February 15, 1952, in North Carolina. He attended East Carolina University and graduated in 1975. He was an assistant athletic trainer for the football team in 1975 after his graduation.{{Cite web|url=https://ecupirates.com/honors/ecu-athletics-hall-of-fame/ronnie-barnes/6|title=Ronnie Barnes (1990) - ECU Athletics Hall of Fame|website=East Carolina University Athletics}} He later went to Michigan State University to get a master's degree.
Professional career
In 1976, Barnes became an athletic training intern for the New York Giants.{{Cite web|url=https://www.giants.com/news/giants-head-trainer-ronnie-barnes-given-lifetime-achievement-award|title=Giants' Ronnie Barnes given lifetime achievement award|website=www.giants.com}} He was promoted to a full time athletic trainer in 1980 and to head athletic trainer in 1981. He won the National Professional Athletic Trainer of the Year award in 1983 and 1987.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/73809758/the-news-and-observer/|newspaper=The News and Observer|title=Barnes voted top trainer|date=February 2, 1988|pages=12|via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://observer.com/2013/09/he-might-be-giants-is-longtime-trainer-ronnie-barnes-the-most-powerful-man-in-new-york-football/|title=He Might Be Giants: Is Longtime Trainer Ronnie Barnes the Most Powerful Man in New York Football?|website=The New York Observer |date=September 10, 2013}} Barnes was named to the ECU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1990 and the National Athletics Trainers Association Hall of Fame in 1999. Barnes won Super Bowls XXI, XXV, XLII, and XLVI with the Giants. He was given a lifetime achievement award in 2019. He was inducted into the Giants Ring of Honor in 2022.{{Cite news|url=https://theathletic.com/3625962/2022/09/26/giants-beloved-athletic-trainer-ronnie-barnes-joining-ring-of-honor/|newspaper=The Athletic|title=Giants' beloved athletic trainer Ronnie Barnes joining Ring of Honor|date=September 26, 2022|author=Carroll, Charlotte}} From 2009 to 2022, when Barnes was Head Athletic Trainer and including his entire tenure as Senior Vice President of Medical Services, the NY Giants were the most injured team in the league according to USA Today, losing more players for more games than any other team in the NFL. {{cite web | url=https://giantswire.usatoday.com/2022/01/21/new-york-giants-are-nfl-most-injured-team-since-2009/ | title=Giants are the NFL's most-injured team since 2009 | date=21 January 2022 }}
Awards
- ECU Athletics Hall of Fame (1990)
- National Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame (1999)
- 4x Super Bowl champion
- Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2x National Professional Athletic Trainer of the Year (1983, 1987)
- New York Giants Ring of Honor (2022)
References
{{reflist}}
Further reading
- {{cite news|title=Too small to play, this N.C. native became a trainer and now he's... Super Bowl Bound|author=Powell, Lee|date=January 17, 1987|access-date=March 19, 2021|via=Newspapers.com|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72977072/the-charlotte-observer/|newspaper=The Charlotte Observer}}
External links
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn2jXsLS5xU Ronnie Barnes: The Tom Brady of Athletic Trainers | NFL Films Presents]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkc3AhmJkJ4 Inside the Legacy of Ronnie Barnes | NY Giants Senior VP of Medical Services/Head Athletic Trainer]
- [https://www.nycsportsnation.com/2020/06/25/combating-covid-19-giants-mvp-ronnie-barnes/ Combating COVID-19: Giants’ MVP, Ronnie Barnes]
- [https://www.nytimes.com/1991/10/27/nyregion/new-jersey-q-a-ronnie-barnes-keeping-the-giants-players-healthy.html NEW JERSEY Q & A: RONNIE BARNES; Keeping the Giants Players Healthy]
{{Giants Ring of Honor}}
{{Super Bowl XXI}}
{{Super Bowl XXV}}
{{Super Bowl XLII}}
{{Super Bowl XLVI}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barnes, Ronnie}}
Category:New York Giants coaches
Category:New York Giants personnel