Pittsburgh Steelers trainer John Norwig will retire next month after 32 years with the team, according to this tweet from The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly. He will be replaced by Gabe Amponsah.
One of the longest-serving head athletic trainers in the NFL, Norwig has been treating athletes at the college and pro level for more than 40 years. He got his start as the head athletic trainer at Bellefonte High School in 1979 before becoming an assistant at Penn State in 1980. After spending six years as the head trainer at Vanderbilt, he was hired by the Steelers and has been in that role ever since. Throughout those years, he’s been treating in-game injuries while also helping players rehab and recover.
In June, Norwig was inducted into the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame and from 2008 until 2014, served as president of the Pennsylvania Football Athletic Trainers’ society.
While his focus is on player health, Norwig also shows the gameday passion of any fan. In the Steelers’ 2021 season opener against Buffalo, we caught him celebrating as much as anyone after the defense recovered this fumble.
And those who personally know Norwig have always spoken highly of the job he’s done and the person he is.
Amponsah is a Maryland native who graduated from Duquesne in 2006. He served as a Steelers trainer intern in 2005-2006. He was later hired by Kentucky and worked there through the 2022 season.
