600 Games and Counting: Ron Carroll’s Half-Century at Arkansas State

In 1971 Ron Carroll, a St. Louis native, arrived in Jonesboro sight unseen, with no idea he would stay for more than fifty years. According to A-State Athletics, the 26 September 2026 game against Kennesaw State was set to be his 600th consecutive A-State football game. His streak of 599 going into that game was already the second-longest known in FBS history, behind only Auburn’s Buddy Davidson (700).

“It truly is an incredible number of games, because when I even hit 500, I thought 600 was a long way away. What’s amazing is I don’t know where the end is. I feel I can still contribute.” — Ron Carroll

From baseball manager to a pioneer of his profession

Carroll came to A-State after an unexpected call from then-Athletic Director Ike Tomlinson, who needed a manager for the baseball team. Officially a manager, he was soon doubling as the teams’ athletic trainer — a field he had caught the bug for in high school.

After graduating from A-State he earned his certification as a graduate student at Indiana State, and returned to Jonesboro as the first certified athletic trainer in the state of Arkansas.

“Iceman”, and a season saved in 90 days

He returned full-time in August 1976, long before MRIs or arthroscopic surgery. The nickname “Iceman” came from the Dixie cups he froze for ice packs, and the four ice chests he filled and drove to practice because the only ice machine was on campus.

In 1978 a fire gutted the building housing the football team’s weight, training and equipment rooms, and all heat-damaged gear had to be discarded. Carroll drove a U-Haul to Cookeville, Tennessee, brought it back loaded to the brim — and camp opened on time in August. Three months to replace every piece of gear, without a hitch.

Fifty years of honours

• 45 years as head athletic trainer (1976–2021); now the athletic department’s Health Care Administrator.
• National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) Hall of Fame (2003) and the A-State Athletics Hall of Honor (2005).
• A-State Football All-Centennial Team (2014); the sports medicine center in the Centennial Bank Athletics Operations Center bears his name (2019).
• Chairman of the Arkansas State Board of Athletic Training since 1995, with 11 appointments from five consecutive governors.

Every detail matters

Carroll measures his career in players he helped back onto the field — like the running back who, in 1996, hugged him on the sideline after scoring on his return from ACL surgery. His philosophy starts with taping an ankle: “Taping is an art.” A single wrinkle can mean blisters, infection, even a hospital stay. He walks the practice field picking up rocks and wipes sweat off the basketball floor — work most people never notice, which prevents injuries before they happen.

“Enjoy the ride, work hard, and remember that every detail matters.” — Ron Carroll’s advice to his 1976 self

If sports medicine interests you

Carroll’s story is also the story of athletic training in Arkansas — a licensed health profession in the US that works directly with sports teams. If health sciences, sport and exercise interest you, explore A-State’s programs on the Academics page.

Source: A-State Athletics, 25 September 2026 — astateredwolves.com.