John Norwig, the Steelers head athletic trainer for 32 years, and Dick Hoak, the Steelers long-time running backs coach, were honored as recipients of the Pro Football Hall of Fame ‘Awards of Excellence’ on Thursday in Canton, Ohio.
Norwig retired in 2023 after 32 years with the Steelers, a career that began in 1991 and included being a part of two Super Bowl Championship teams.
“It’s pretty hard to sum it up in just a few words what John has meant to us for 32 years,” said Steelers president Art Rooney II at the time of Norwig’s retirement. “He’s been a consummate professional. And just on a personal level, he’s had relationships with so many people. He handled himself the way you would hope everyone on the staff conducts himself. He’s as good as it gets in terms of somebody that comes and stays for 32 years and provides us with that level of professionalism. I think our medical staff has been the best in the NFL for a long time, and he’s part of the reason for that for sure. We’re going to miss him.”
Norwig was joined at the Hall of Fame by his family, including his wife Emily and his three children, Erin, Nicholas and Luke, as well as members of the Steelers athletic training staff and medical staff, and other Steelers staff members.
In typical Norwig style, he deflected attention from himself when called out others while on stage, including the Steelers medical and athletic training staff. He also introduced Ariko Iso and Sonia Ruef. Iso, who spent nine seasons with the Steelers, was the first full-time female athletic trainer in the NFL when she joined Norwig’s Steelers staff in 2002. Ruef, who is currently the Steelers associate athletic trainer, was the second full-time female athletic trainer when the Norwig hired her in 2011.