MURFREESBORO - Joe-Joe Petrone, a 25-year veteran with collegiate and NFL experience, has resigned his position with Middle Tennessee to become the Director of Sports Medicine at Auburn.

Petrone has spent the last six years as Middle Tennessee's Director of Sports Medicine, overseeing the entire athletic training operation. He was also the primary liaison for the football program.

"You learn about people as you go and I developed a bond with Joe-Joe Petrone," said Director of Athletics Chris Massaro. "Middle Tennessee is not only losing a great athletic trainer, but also a good friend. We hate to lose him but this is a move he wanted to make and it's a great situation for him and his family. We appreciate everything he has done for Middle Tennessee and the manner in which he has treated our student-athletes. The thing I'll remember is how he has exited. He has worked hard up until the last day during a busy time and that's his character. We wish Joe-Joe nothing but the best at Auburn."

The Nashville, Tenn., native came to Middle Tennessee after spending five years as the athletic trainer and therapist at HealthSouth Sports Medicine Center in Tampa, Fla. He was responsible for the rehabilitation of all injuries and in charge of the sports medicine outreach program at his facility.

Petrone was the assistant athletic trainer for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1987-96 where he saw to the care and prevention of player injuries and handled all needs for his team physicians. From 1981-87, Petrone was the assistant athletic trainer at Ole Miss where he assisted with the football program and was the head athletic trainer for basketball.

Petrone worked as an athletic trainer for the New York Yankees Fantasy Camp for five years and also donated his time and knowledge as an athletic trainer for Florida College and Hillsborough High School football.

He was the New York Yankees AA farm team's interim head athletic trainer in July 1981 and was a graduate assistant athletic trainer at the University of Kentucky from 1980-81. He served as a summer assistant athletic trainer for the New York Jets in Hempstead, N.Y., during the summers of 1979 and 1980 and began his career as a student athletic trainer at Vanderbilt University from 1977-80.

A certified member of the National Athletic Trainers Association, Petrone earned a bachelor's degree in health and physical education from Vanderbilt University in 1980 and a master's of science degree from the University of South Florida in 1994.

Petrone and his wife Allyson have twin sons, Chas and Michael, who will complete their senior season this year at Oakland High School.

-- pronunciation key for Petrone: Pa - troe - knee

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