FOXBORO, Mass. - The New England Patriots announced that Ron O'Neil, the team's head trainer for the past 18 seasons, will lead the assessment and development of a new sports training and rehabilitation center that will complement the state-of-the-art facilities at CMGI Field.
"Over the past couple of years, I have been consulted in the design of the team's new training facilities and believe that they will be among the finest in the country," said O'Neil. "This region is renowned for having some of the finest doctors in the world and I have had the pleasure of working with some of the best sports injury specialists in the region for many years. I look forward to finding a way to allow the public to benefit from a combination of these unique regional assets."
The scope of services available at similar facilities around the country includes surgical centers, physical rehabilitation and physical training. One of the initial tasks O'Neil will face will be defining the exact type of facility appropriate for the local market.
"Ron O'Neil is a highly regarded athletic trainer who has been treating sports injuries for the past 33 years," said Patriots Chief Operating Officer, Andy Wasynczuk. "We think we have an opportunity to provide one of the premier training facilities in the nation to members of our community and Ron is uniquely qualified to help us define and operate the facility."
O'Neil joined the Patriots as the team's head trainer in April of 1984 and has fulfilled those responsibilities for the past 18 seasons, including each of the Patriots three Super Bowl teams. In 1997, following the team's second AFC Championship season, O'Neil and his staff were awarded the NFL Athletic Training Staff of the Year honors, as selected by his peers. Last year, the Ball State alumnus was inducted into the university's Athletics Training Ring of Honor.
He began his career as the assistant athletic trainer at Northwestern University in 1969. Four years later, he accepted the assistant trainer's position with the Philadelphia Eagles, a position he held for 12 seasons. He has been a member of four conference champions, including three as the head trainer with the Patriots, and won his first Super Bowl title on Feb. 3, 2002.
