Joe Camillone was a mainstay in the Lions athletic family for 35 years. He was friend and confidant of the coaches and staff, and a dedicated professional who provided care for thousands of student-athletes at the college.
Camillone worked at TCNJ for more than three decades and brought professional care and charisma to the athletic training office. He also played a significant role in promoting the field of athletic training and has been a mentor a vast number of assistant trainers, graduate assistants and student trainers who have gone on from TCNJ to establish a career in the field.
“Joe provided athletic health care for the varsity athletes at TCNJ for 35 years,” said TCNJ Head Athletic Trainer, Megan Guicheteau. “Beyond his caring and compassion, his witty personality and genuine interest in people earned him numerous friendships with athletes and coaches alike that have continued long after their time at TCNJ.
At TCNJ, he was responsible for the development and maintenance of the health care program for student-athletes. In particular, he supervised the treatment of injuries and administered rehabilitative exercise. He also taught Prevention of Athletic Injury and a Health Issues seminar at TCNJ.
Camillone became only the second person honored with the Presidential Award, which is given to a person who shows unselfish and dedicated efforts which has advanced the EATA and the athletic training profession. Established in January 2006, the first recipient of the award was Bob O'Malley, former athletic trainer and assistant athletic director at Philadelphia University.
In 2007, he was awarded the 2007 Presidential Award at the 2007 Eastern Athletic Trainers Association Convention in Boston, Massachusetts.
In the fall of 2003, Camillone was also honored by his alma mater, the University of Findlay (Findlay, Ohio) with the school's Distinguished Alumni Citation. He was also honored in 2007 with the All-America Football Foundation Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award.
The Ewing Township resident came to TCNJ in August, 1973 after serving as a teacher and athletic trainer at Cedar Ridge High School in Old Bridge, NJ. He holds a bachelor's degree in health and physical education from Findlay College (Ohio) and a master’s degree in physical education from Eastern Michigan University.
Camillone continues to be a familiar face on campus at the college. He regularly visits Packer Hall and the Rec Center to keep in touch, and also attends dozens of TCNJ athletic events during the school year. Camillone can always be found at home football games and wrestling matches, sharing memories and wide smiles with friends old and new.
Both he and his wife make athletic training a profession. Wife Lisa has served as the head trainer at nearby Mercer County Community College in West Windsor, NJ, for the past 25 years. They are the proud parents of their daughter, Andrea.
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“Joe was omnipresent and he introduced many concepts that proved to be forward thinking- exercising before taping, ice/heat/electric stun therapy, and establishing his own concussion protocol. Joe was professional in his approach and fatherly in his practice. On the sideline, jJe cheered and was always engaged- he was truly part of the team. Perhaps most important- joe used his platform to assure all athletes understood that Frank Sinatra was "the greatest" - Greg Bellotti ‘92
