For 36 seasons, only one man held the position of head athletic trainer for the Buffalo Bills. On this date 15 years ago, Ed Abramoski retired from that position after a time span that ranged from Jack Kemp to Jim Kelly.
After a standout high school football career, Abramoski attended Purdue University on a football scholarship. A back injury forced an end to his football career, but he found his calling at West Point as an assistant trainer. By age 21, he was the youngest Division I trainer in the country at the University of Detroit. He also helped train the Detroit Lions, which led to his next gig. When Lions minority owner Ralph Wilson founded his AFL franchise, several Lions employees joined him, including head coach Buster Ramsey. Ramsey brought Abromoski with him. Abramoski is one of the few employees who joined the Bills in 1959.
In 1986, he was inducted into the National Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame. The Buffalo Bills Alumni gave him their Appreciation Award not once, but twice - in 1990 and 1994. Also In 1994, the Bills honored Abramoski with a special version of the Ralph C. Wilson Distinguished Service Award for long and meritorious service to the club. He has also been active at the state level with the Special Olympics, and pushed for access by all high school players to athletic trainers.
Upon his induction in the NATA Hall of Fame, team owner Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. remarked that "the loyalty, dedication and professionalism of Eddie Abramoski is as unfailing today as it was the day he joined our organization in 1960."
Abramoski is the second-longest tenured member of the organization in history, following only owner Ralph Wilson. He was Head Athletic Trainer under 11 different Bills head coaches, was on the staff for every division championship, and worked with every single member of the Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame. He was later added to that Wall in 1999.
Bud Carpenter took over for Abramoski, and has been the Head Athletic Trainer since 1996.