Curstine Guevarra

PV trainer Bill Reger helps Greg Zoll stretch out during halftime. PV Athletic Trainer Reger shares his story and path to working as an athletic trainer and spotter.

Pascack Valley’s Athletic Trainer, Bill Reger has been working at PV for 21 years. Simultaneously, he has also been working as an Athletic Spotter at MetLife Stadium with the National Football League (NFL) and working on the sidelines at Army Football Games. He attended last year’s Army-Navy game as an Athletic Spotter, also known as an “AT Spotter.”

AT spotters have an important job. They watch for potential injuries from a booth within the stadium as another set of eyes. A medical spotter is able to notice potential risks that on-field athletic trainers and officials don’t always catch from the sidelines. The position was introduced in 2015 and has worked to help combat severe injuries during games. These athletic trainers have the ability to call a timeout without being on the field. This is called a medical timeout and only the Athletic Spotter has the ability to use it. It is used for situations where there is a serious injury on the field and the AT feels a timeout needs to be used on this.

Reger explained that while he played sports, he would always get hurt; becoming an athletic trainer was a way he could help other athletes overcome injuries. 

Reger initially attended the University of Delaware as a biology major before switching his major to athletic training. After graduating from Delaware, he spent most of his time taking classes at Montclair State. Reger eventually landed an internship with the New York Giants in 1994. 

After the internship was over, Reger went to Columbia University where he got his master’s degree and became a full-time athletic trainer. In 2003, he moved to a role at Pascack Valley, where he works to this day. 

In 2018, Reger started working with Army football, attending every Army football home game, including the annual Army-Navy game. 

Reger loves being an athletic trainer, yet he has a special kind of love for the Army versus Navy game.

“I love the Army-Navy [game] because every game seems to be different…no matter where it is. I don’t like using the word, ‘bucket list,’ but that’s a bucket-list type thing,” Reger said. “It’s just so cool to watch and [it has so much energy around it].”

While working at Columbia University as an assistant athletic trainer, Reger got the opportunity to work with the NFL in a new position; an athletic trainer spotter. 

Reger jumped on the opportunity to work in this new position, adjusting but enjoying this new experience. 

 “I [have to] meet with the doctors in the NFL and I also meet with the head referee and his associate,” Reger said. “We go over emergency action plans, what’s going to happen during the game, everything like that. Once those meetings are done, I go up to the box [office].”

There are many differences between working with professional athletes, college athletes, and high school athletes, which is something Reger appreciates about his various jobs. 

“One of the biggest differences is that high school kids think they can get better in a day – they think they’re indestructible,” Reger said. “[Conversely], professional players take care of their bodies. And college is right in the middle. They want to play, but they want to take care of their body.” 

When Reger was asked about his dream game to work at, he gave an honest answer. 

“I didn’t get a chance to work the MetLife Super Bowl because they only had one spotter at a time,” Reger said. “It’d be nice if I ever got that Super Bowl-type chance..even better than that would be doing the European games.”