Jon Lin ’06 returned to TAS in March to share a few tips with the Track and Field athletes. The students were curious about his Giant job. Or to put it another way, a job with the New York Football Giants. In the summer of 2013, Jon began full time, seasonal employment with the National Football League club as an athletic trainer. He averages an 80-100 hour work week for six months of the year, mending the professional football players at home and on the road.
Jon’s primary work with the NY Giants involves your basic athletic training duties – practice set-up with a medical trunk and hydration stations, pre-practice/game taping and bracing, treatments such as stretching and massages, injury prevention, as well as practice and game day on-field emergency response. In addition, he also serves as a physical therapist prescribing rehabilitation exercises to injured athletes or those coming out of season ending surgeries.
Jon notes the ups and downs of working for such a demanding franchise. “[The work] is also in a very fast-paced environment and can sometimes get very stressful. However, it comes with perks too. I enjoy being able to travel to different cities for games, and having the pleasure to work and interact with professional athletes. I also get a lot of free gear!”
Jon’s passion for athletics began at TAS. He currently still holds the TAS track record in the 100m and 200m dash, as well as the 4X100m relay. Aside from track, he played JV basketball his freshman and sophomore year, and started on the varsity squad his senior year. He also participated in one year of IASAS cross-country as a captain his sophomore year. This interest in athletics carried over into his college career.
With the help of Mr. Richard Arnold, who is also an Ithaca College graduate, Jon found out about their physical therapy program and was accepted to a 6-year accelerated degree. In the summer of 2012, he did an internship with the NY Giants’ preseason training camp. He took the job when a position opened up for the 2013 season.
Now when you watch the NY Giants on TV, be sure to pay close attention to the sideline. You just might catch a glimpse of Jon keeping the team healthy and strong.