By: Jerry Del Priore 

What hasn’t Professor Robb Rehberg at Wayne’s William Paterson University done in the athletic training field? 

Not much. For Rehberg’s fruitful efforts and unrelenting commitment to the field, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) will induct him into its Hall of Fame (HOF) during the Association’s annual Clinical Symposium and Expo in late June, the association announced in late February. 

“It’s a very humbling experience, for sure,” said Dr. Rehberg, who earned his PhD in Health Science from Touro University in 2003. “It was very surreal to be included in such esteemed company,” adding that only 250 people in the field are in the NATA HOF.

Rehberg’s broad athletic training experience and knowledge is downright impressive. He has spent the last 17 years as the Coordinator of Athletic Training Clinical Education at William Paterson University. 

Additionally, the father of two children currently serves as a medical consultant for the National Football League (NFL), working in the press box to oversee the medical spotter program, helping to point out things from a different vantage that on-field medical personnel might have missed.

Rehberg’s career started as the head athletic trainer at Westwood Regional High School, where he served in that position for 14 years. 

One of his most important areas of study in the athletic training field that he has undertaken is the work in the management and prevention of sports-related concussions, especially in youth athletics, he noted. 

Furthermore, he has created a concussion awareness online training course geared for parents, coaches, and athletes called Concussion Wise, that has educated countless people in 52 countries. 

“I have been involved in management of concussions for most of my career,” Rehberg said. “You can’t eliminate it completely, but you can reduce the severity and the number of concussions,” adding that teaching proper tackling and blocking techniques in football can help lessen head impact and potential injuries to the head and neck areas. 

Rehberg said he sees athletic trainers as one of the most important links in the caregiver chain, helping to ensure that youth athletes get the medical attention they need. 

In New Jersey, he said, most high school student-athletes are afforded the help and attention they want and require. 

“Athletic trainers are the primary healthcare providers for high school athletes,” Rehberg said. “New Jersey has 95 percent of high schools who have access to ATs.” 

Rehberg said that as a professor at William Paterson University, where it has the oldest college athletic training program in the Garden State, he is extremely proud to teach the next generation of athletic trainers. 

“I love what I do,” he said. “I can’t imagine doing something different. There’s nothing I would rather be doing. I’m 53, and a lot of people my age are retiring,” Rehberg continued. “But not me. I’m a restless mind with a problem to be solved.” 

The industry renowned honor is just the cherry on top of the proverbial cake for the self-professed mindfulness professor on a continued mission of care.