Former Steelers trainer John Horwig to receive Hall of Fame's 'Award of Excellence'

The Pittsburgh Steelers will have a continued presence at the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer.

Former head athletic trainer John Norwig will be honored as a member of the “Awards of Excellence” fourth class, the Hall of Fame announced Friday. He joins Ed Block and Pepper Burruss, bringing the number of athletic trainers honored by the Hall of Fame to 14.

Norwig will be feted at a cocktail dinner and awards luncheon June 25-26.

Norwig retired from the Steelers in June 2023 after spending 32 seasons with the Steelers as their head trainer. It capped a 43-year career in the field.

Norwig’s milestones include hiring the NFL’s first full-time female athletic trainer in 2002. He was inducted into the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers’ Hall of Fame in 2015.

Prior to joining the Steelers, Norwig worked in the college ranks at Penn State, his alma mater, and Vanderbilt.

He was on the Steelers’ staff that spanned head coaches Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin. He was part of the Super Bowl championship staff in 2005 and 2008.

The “Awards of Excellence” program was established by the Hall of Fame in 2022 to recognize contributors in “behind-the-scenes” roles. It honors assistant coaches, equipment managers, film/video directors and public relations directors.

Former Steelers running backs coach Dick Hoak was announced in December as an honoree and will join Norwig in Canton, Ohio. Other members of the Steelers who previously received recognition were former PR director Joe Gordon, equipment manager Tony Parisi, former assistant coaches Tom Moore and Lionel Taylor, and former video coordinator Bob McCartney.