The Critical Role of Athletic Trainers in Our Schools
Taking a closer look at Southeast Georgia Health System’s Sports Medicine Program and its ongoing commitment to protecting players and coaches, both on and off the field.
From left, Paul Trumbull, PT, MBA, director of Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Services at Southeast Georgia Health System; Coach Thomas Tedder, Brunswick High School and Hunter Gantos, ATC, Southeast Georgia Health System
On April 28, 2025, Hunter Gantos, ATC, was in the right place at the right time. As a Certified Athletic Trainer, Gantos kept a watchful eye on young athletes during Brunswick High School spring football practices. From her usual spot on the sidelines, she stood ready to help if anyone became injured or ill. What happened next was something no one saw coming.
Coach Thomas Tedder, Brunswick High School’s defensive coordinator was only 53 years old when he collapsed on the field that day. As Head Coach Garrett Grady called 9-1-1, Gantos sprang into action, sprinting over to Coach Tedder. “He was having a seizure. He looked dead,” Gantos recalls. As soon as the seizure passed, Gantos used an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to restart Coach Tedder’s heart. The AED delivers an electric shock to restore heart rhythm. After restarting the coach’s heart, Gantos performed CPR to keep his heart beating until paramedics arrived. Even after they arrived, she continued to help paramedics until they could transport the fallen coach to the hospital.
“Athletic trainers practice so much; it’s nice knowing you have the skills. When it happened, I went on auto pilot. I just thought, ‘I have to save him.’”
Ready for Any Emergency
Coach Tedder’s high blood pressure led to him experiencing what is known as sudden cardiac death. Although he was taking medication, it wasn’t properly regulating his blood pressure. “I remember being at practice, then waking up two weeks later in the hospital. Had Hunter not been there, I would not be having this conversation,” Tedder says.
Paul Trumbull, PT, MBA, director of Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Services at Southeast Georgia Health System, agrees. “Athletic trainers are licensed and certified by the state of Georgia. They’re well equipped to handle any emergency, from sports injuries to heat illness to lightning strikes to concussion management. Each athletic trainer has an Emergency Action Plan specific to the sport and the school they’re working with. As part of that plan, they make safety plans and recommendations.”
Board-certified orthopaedic surgeon, Beau Sasser, MD, serves as the Medical Director of the Sports Medicine Program and oversees the athletic trainer program supporting schools in Glynn, McIntosh and Brantley counties. The program currently employs seven full-time certified athletic trainers and plans to add two more soon.
Safety on the Sidelines
Coach Tedder’s experience demonstrates that athletic trainers like Gantos can prevent tragedy. “Having a certified athletic trainer on campus is essential for any school,” Trumbull says. Coach Tedder puts it more strongly. “If you don’t have a certified athletic trainer and an AED machine at your school, shame on you.”
After two years of working on the sidelines of Brunswick High School sporting events, Gantos moved over to Glynn Academy. She remains close to the Brunswick High School community. “As much as I’m grateful I saved his life, I’m so glad Coach Tedder kept fighting for his life. My relationship with Coach Tedder and Coach Grady has forever changed. There’s so much love there.”
For Coach Tedder, the feeling is mutual. He honors Gantos and her life-saving act by taking good care of his health. “My (blood pressure) numbers are good. I’m exercising and watching my diet. For me to come back from that event, there’s something God still needs me to do.”
To learn about the Southeast Georgia Health System Sports Medicine program, visit sghs.org/sports-medicine.
