Steelers associate athletic trainer Sonia Ruef was named the recipient of the Tim Davey AFC Assistant Athletic Trainer of the Year Award, presented by the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society (PFATS).
Ruef is the first Steelers athletic trainer to win the award, which has been presented since 2011. She is also the first female to ever win the award.
Ruef started with the Steelers as a summer intern in 2008 and was hired as a full-time assistant athletic trainer for the team in 2011. She has since been promoted to associate athletic trainer.
Ruef earned her BS in Kinesiology and Spanish at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and her MA in Athletic Training from North Carolina. She is a member of the PFATS Hall of Fame Committee and Hall of Fame Exhibit Committee.
The award is presented annually to an athletic trainer in both conferences and recognizes their integrity, service and excellence in athletic training.
The award is named after former New York Jets assistant athletic trainer Tim Davey, who spent 33 years working in the NFL.
The recipient is nominated by the PFATS membership and selected by a committee that includes past recipients.
