ERDELJAC AN IMPORTANT RESOURCE
FOR TECH ATHLETIC TEAMS
Joe Erdeljac (right) and Tech women's coach Kim Rosamond (center)
help junior guard Kentoria Alexander off the floor following an injury.
Healthy Living | Spring Issue | 2018 9
By Craig Delk
An important part of success for
sports teams at every level is being
able to keep their athletes in
the game, and help them safely
return to action following an injury.
The Tennessee Tech athletic
programs have an important resource
who has a wealth of experience
and is able to do just
that. Head athletic trainer Joe
Erdeljac has been in his current
position since 2008, and he also
spent seven years (1992-99) as
an athletic trainer for Tech. Between
those stints, he worked
for Cookeville Regional Medical
Center and served as Upperman
High School’s head athletic
trainer.
Erdeljac’s role spans from
helping to assess injuries to
working with Golden Eagle student
athletes as they return to action,
and everything in between.
“We’re involved in rehabilitation,
we’re involved in the initial
management and assessment
of injuries, and we’re involved in
rehab and prevention,” Erdeljac
says. “We take them through
the whole process, from start to
finish.”
And when an injury is serious
to require the help of a physician,
Erdeljac has built strong
relationships through the years
to help move that process forward.
“It’s important to have that
relationship where you can call
the doctor at any time and say, ‘I
think it’s this. Can we do this?’”
Erdeljac explains. “With that
good relationship, the physician
feels like they’ve seen the patient
if they’ve spoken to you.”
Erdeljac adds, “I think it’s
very important building that
relationship with the physicians
that you work under and work
with, because they gain the
trust. The physician and athletic
training relationship is so
important. It’s important to the
student-athletes, it’s important
to the programs, and it’s important
to the schools.”
Tech’s head basketball
coaches are well aware of how
important Erdeljac and his staff
are to their programs.