John Lopez, now retired, was most recently the assistant athletic director for sports medicine and head athletic trainer at Newberry College.
Lopez joins Newberry from Coppin State University, where he served as the director of sports medicine and as the head athletic trainer for the Eagles. Lopez is a certified member of the National Athletic Trainers' Association, Mid-Atlantic Athletic Trainers' Association and the South Carolina Athletic Trainers' Association.
Throughout his career Lopez has worked with many different athletes ranging from youth competitors to professional football players. From 1976-79 Lopez worked with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League, before being named the head athletic trainer of the Baltimore Colts. Lopez joined the Colts in Indianapolis and worked with the franchise from 1979-84.
Lopez is a co-founder of the Ed Block Courage Award, a national charity dedicated to fighting child abuse, and now serves as a Board Member Emeritus. In 2012, Lopez was inducted into the National Athletic Trainers' Association Hall of Fame, following up his 2011 induction to the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Trainers' Association Hall of Fame and 2005 induction to the Maryland Athletic Trainers' Association Hall of Fame.
Lopez graduated from the University of Tampa with a degree in Physical Education.