Phil Buttafuoco, the commissioner of the ECAC, has announced that John Davis, athletics trainer at Montclair State University, has been named as the inaugural recipient of the Dr. Donald Grover Memorial Award. Davis will receive his award during the annual ECAC Honors Dinner presented by Jostens on September 25, in conjunction with the ECAC Convention and Trade Show.

The Dr. Donald Grover Memorial Award, endowed by the family of Dr. Grover, was established to annually honor an athletics trainer and/or team physician at an ECAC member institution who has achieved outstanding success in his or her career and has made a significant contribution in the interest of intercollegiate athletics.

Davis has served the Montclair State community for 20 years. He has served as the Head Trainer for the Department of Athletics where he administers the university’s department of athletic training and sports medicine by supervising full and part-time staff, graduate assistants, and student employees who provide care, treatment and rehabilitation for approximately 425 student athletes participating in 21 varsity sports.

Davis’ professional reputation extends far beyond the confines of the Montclair State campus as he has been involved in state, regional, and national athletic training associations.  In 2005, Davis was presented with the Distinguished Service Award from the Athletic Training Society of New Jersey. 

For many years Davis was the only educator (as an adjunct) in the academic program for athletic training. He worked diligently throughout his career advocating for a certified curriculum based education program in athletic training. During that time he worked with the Provost’s office and with the various chairpersons of the Department of Health Professions, Physical Education, Recreation and Leisure Studies to draft plans that would bring the university into compliance with the National Athletic Trainers' Association guidelines. His advocacy paid off two years ago when the athletic training curriculum received certification and was approved as an undergraduate major. With this certification, there are now full-time faculty members who carry the major load of classroom instruction. Davis continues to provide supervision and hands-on instruction to student trainers.

Davis, who served as Acting Director of the Montclair State Student Health Center in the fall of 1996, also was instrumental in the establishment of a campus-based EMS service.

A committee of athletic trainers was established by the ECAC to review nominations and select the recipient of the award.