medical staff Ron Courson
Dr. Fred Reifsteck, MD
Sr. Assoc. AD - Sports Medicine
Ron Courson has served as Director of Sports Medicine with the University of Georgia Athletic Association since 1995. He previously served as Director of Rehabilitation at the University of Alabama from 1991-1995 and Director of Rehabilitation with Samford University from 1989-1991. Courson received his undergraduate degree in education/physical education from Samford University, performed two years of graduate work at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, and graduated with honors from the Medical College of Georgia with a degree in physical therapy. Courson is a national registered emergency medical technicianintermediate as well as a certified strength and conditioning specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Courson has been involved in many athletic training activities including work as an athletic trainer with the U.S. Olympic Team at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea; 1990 Goodwill Games; 1987 World University Games, 1987 Pan American Games and the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. He served as the chief athletic trainer for the 1996 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials as well as the chief athletic trainer for track and field for the Atlanta Committee for the 1996 Olympic Games (ACOG). Ron is active in his profession, having served as the president of the SEC Sports Medicine Committee, chairman of the College and University Athletic Trainers' Committee of the National Athletic Trainers' Association and as a member of the NCAA Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports committee. He is a past medical liaison to the American Football Coaches Association and serves currently on the NFL Health and Safety Committee and the USA Football Medical Advisory Board. During his tenure at Alabama, he served as president of the Alabama Athletic Trainers Association and chairman of the Alabama Board of Athletic Trainers. Ron received the Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer award in 2005 from the National Athletic Trainers' Association and was inducted into the Southeast Athletic Trainers' Association Hall of Fame in 2011 and the National Athletic Trainers' Association Hall of Fame in 2013. Ron serves as an adjunct instructor in the department of kinesiology at the University of Georgia, teaching in the nationally accredited athletic training education program. He serves as a clinical instructor teaching student physical therapists from the Medical College of Georgia and other physical therapy schools. He is active in research and education in the field of sports medicine, having authored a number of professional papers and text chapters and produced a national educational series “Emergency Care in Sports”. Ron presents frequently at regional and national sports medicine meetings. Ron is married to the former Eileen O'Connell of Waycross, Georgia. Ron and Eileen have four children, John, Anna, Luke, and Will.
Glen Alex, DMD Dentist
Harry Brown, Jr. DC Chiropractor
David Sailors, MD Alonzo Sexton, MD Vascular Surgery Orthopedics
Head Physician
Dr. Fred Reifsteck serves as the head team physician for the UGA Athletic Association, and practices in the Sports Medicine Clinic at the University Health Center. Dr. Reifsteck is board certified in family medicine with a certificate of added qualification in sports medicine. Dr. Reifsteck has a BA in Biology from Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., a MS in Microbiology from Illinois State University and a MD from the University of Illinois-Chicago. He completed a residency at the Methodist Medical Center of Illinois in Peoria. He has been at UGA since December 2003. He had been in private practice in the Atlanta area for the previous 13 years and was a team physician at Georgia State and Clayton State. Dr. Reifsteck resides in Athens with his wife Joyce and their son Fred IV.
David Jack
Assistant Athletic Trainer
David Jack joined the UGA Athletic Training staff as an assistant athletic trainer in June of 2014. A native of Riverton, Utah, Jack graduated with his bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training from the University of Utah in May of 2011. He gained valuable experience serving as a summer intern with the San Diego Chargers in 2010. He accepted a graduate assistant position at Fresno State University and spent the 2011 and 2012 seasons working with the Bulldogs’ football team while earning a master’s degree in Sport Administration. Upon completion of the degree, he was hired by the Indianapolis Colts to an athletic training position for the 2013 NFL season.
Jon Hill
Pat Brooks, MD
Chris Morris, DC
Sidney Smith
Stuart Thomas, OD
Internal Medicine
Sports Nutrition
Drew Willson
Assistant Athletic Trainer
Chiropractor
Optometry
Assistant Athletic Trainer
Robert Hancock, MD Glenn Henry, EMT-P Orthopedics
Emergency Medicine
Kim Walpert, MD
Kelly Ward, PA
Neurosurgery
Primary Care
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