AT SPOTLIGHT
Eddie Davis
Submitted and Written by: Lori Moss
Years Certified: 32 years!
Current Position: Retired from athletic training, but now serves in the communications office at Baylor School
What you love about athletic training: "I think the thing I enjoyed most about being an athletic trainer was the required attitude of servant hood and the ministry I was able to provide through the profession"
Words of Wisdom: "Being an AT made me be a better person - you just can’t be nasty and help people at the same time. Most ATs I know are good people – the profession draws good people."
Education: University of Tennessee, Chattanooga
So, how did Eddie become an athletic trainer back before athletic training was a thing?
In his own words, here is his story...
“As a freshman in high school (1972), I went out for the ninth grade basketball team. The coach saw my athletic “talent” and asked me to be a manager for the varsity team. That sounded like a good way to contribute, so I agreed. The football coach then asked me to continue as a football manager the next fall.
Meanwhile, the formerly mentioned basketball coach kept talking to me about being "a trainer" – the term athletic trainer was rarely used in those days. I went to a Cramer Student Trainer Workshop, mostly learning to tape ankles and do a few first aid things. There, I found a new value to add to my teams when I returned, and I really felt like I found my niche.
Again, the same basketball coach suggested I look into doing athletic training in college and he called a few of his connections at his alma mater, UTC. After cramming four years into five at UTC, I was called by the assistant headmaster at Baylor School. He had called Bill Oliver, the UTC head football coach, and asked if any trainers were graduating. Baylor’s trainer had recently resigned. Incidentally, Baylor’s first AT was Sandy Sandlin, legendary trainer at UTC (who I did not work under). Baylor interviewed me and offered me a job at $12,000 per year. I took it.
I began at Baylor in the fall of 1981 and passed the BOC exam later, in 1982. I served as Baylor’s head athletic trainer (the only AT for many years) until the summer of 2013, when I retired my certification after 32 school years.
The athletic training profession has changed so much since I first became interested in it. Certification and licensure (by the way, my TN license number is 000009 just to show how old I am) were just beginning to be required when I began my career and I still remember athletic training becoming a recognized allied health care profession. Even though I felt a bit like a dinosaur by the time I stopped practicing, I still believe many important things about athletic training, the things I enjoyed most about it, should never change and I hope they never do."
A Rewarding Profession
"I think the thing I enjoyed most about being an athletic trainer was the required attitude of servant hood and the ministry I was able to provide through the profession. I felt like I was helping athletes, coaches, teams, and the school accomplish athletic goals they had set. It was the best way I could be part of athletics and be a contributor to a team.
I liked the feeling I got when I helped students at a low point in their life – because of an injury and the collateral problems and emotions an injury can produce – or, more importantly, providing proper emergency care after the more traumatic injuries.
Being an AT made me be a better person - you just can’t be nasty and help people at the same time. Most ATs I know are good people – the profession draws good people. Working at one school for my entire career was also a blessing. Baylor has become family to me and I consider it “my school” more than the high school or college I attended. I didn’t go to Baylor, but I have a deep love and loyalty to the school and the people working here.”
Eddie Davis, The Good One
"The fall of 2006, Eddie said to me “I thought this was my starter job.” From that moment until the spring of 2013, I grew to understand what he meant. The seven years working alongside “bossman”, his character driven approach to developing the Sports Medicine Program always started with the best care of the athlete and usually ended with an Andy Griffin episode.
Eddie knew how to entertain of group of stressed out coaches by having story-time in the Dining Hall, Athletic Training Room, or anytime they needed a pick me up. He perfected the arena of captivating an audience, which grew into a position as a Communication Specialist for Baylor School. He started Baylor’s Raider ReCap in 2005, which started his humorous play on words in a colorful daily depiction of our students performing their athleticism. With the growth of social media and a need to present the accomplishments of our community, Eddie moved into a full-time position writing stories for Baylor and retired from the Athletic Training Profession in 2013.
Those with questionable knowledge of what Eddie’s daily responsibility was never seemed to bother him because he would always say, “well if my job looks easy, then I’m doing it right”. I believe that to be true. It’s a thankless job with thankful moments, and Eddie gave many thankful moments to many student-athletes at Baylor, UTC Graduate AT-students, and those who work with him through the years. I learned to stay on his hip and the “snap”of the job! He was more than my bossman; he was my mentor and forever…my friend. Thank you Eddie Davis, you are the good one!"
Lori Moss
ATC, Baylor School
“Eddie Davis was more than an Athletic Trainer for the Baylor Athletic teams. During my time as Athletic Director and Head Basketball Coach at Baylor, Eddie was a friend, a confidante, “uncle” to my children, family “doctor”, the bus driver, and later my co-pilot on away games.
He wore many hats and had great respect from all who knew Eddie. He was as important as any player or coach that ever was at Baylor! I appreciate him more than he will ever know!!
He set a standard that all people in this profession or any profession should try to reach!!!
Austin Clark
Head Boys Basketball Coach
1982-2018
“He cares about the Athletes and the Athletes care about him”
Doug May
Retired ATC
NATA Hall of Fame
