Today's edition of Beyond The Visor stretches the idea a bit to include Saints personnel beyond coaches, but it is to cover a face familiar to those of us who get to watch all the games on TV or in person.
Since we've already learned about the coach who tries to keep the Saints players from being injured, it seems only logical to look at the career path of the man who takes care of our boys after they get hurt.
Scottie Patton has patrolled the Saints sideline and training rooms for 11 seasons, overseeing all medical care and injury rehabilitation.
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Scottie Patton rolled into town in 2000, answering the call of Randy Meuller (who had to clean up the mess of the Bill Kuharich/Mike Ditka regime) to replace the legendary Dean Kleinschmidt, who had led the Saints training staff since 1971.
Those were some big shoes to fill, so it's a good thing Patton's a big man.
Patton attended Appalachian State University from 1986-90, serving as a student athletic trainer while completing his bachelor's degree in Sports Medicine/Exercise Science. In 1988-89, he also worked as a summer camp and assistant athletic trainer for the San Francisco 49ers.
He began his graduate work at South Carolina (1990-1991), but finished the master's in Sports Medicine at San Jose State in 1996.
From 1991 to 1995, Patton worked again for the 49ers as an assistant athletic trainer, gaining Super Bowl championship experience following the 1994 season. He joined the Philadelphia Eagles training staff in 1996 and remained there until he took his first Head Athletic Trainer job with the Saints.
Patton and his crew garnered honors as Athletic Training Staff of the Year in 2006 (by both the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society and the National Football League Physician's Society) and 2007 (Southeastern Athletic Trainers Association)
Scottie Patton "Fun Facts"
- Belongs to the National Athletic Trainers Association and the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society.
- Found himself alleged to be in the middle of the vicodin scandal before it went all "hush-hush".
- Has a wife, Yvette, and three children: Cameron, Alexis, and Roman Scott (HansDat note: I think this one was named after Roman Harper and Scott Shanle).
- Created the Patton Football/Athletic Training Clinic to provide instruction in athletic training and football skills in his hometown of Gastonia, North Carolina.
- Worked as a trainer for the NFC squad at the Pro Bowl three times.
Source for this edition of Beyond the Visor.