One of the best tributes to character and ability occurs when a protege follows the career of a respected mentor. In the case of Wesley D. Jordan, this has happened five times.
Jordan, who recently completed his 30th consecutive year as trainer of the University of Maine baseball team, is responsible for developing five trainers who have been active in professional baseball: D. Mark Letendre, San Francisco Giants; Dick Young, New York Yankees (Greensboro, N.C.); Tim Weston, New York Yankees (Albany, N.Y.); Bill Guerrette and Carl Randolph, New York Yankees (Oneonta, N.Y.).
In 22 of the 30 years Jordan has served at Maine, the head baseball coach has been John Winkin.
"| can only say he is the very best in the business," said Winkin. "I consider Wes Jordan's many years of work with and association with baseball programs for 30 years worthy of Hall of Fame recognition. No one is better as a baseball trainer. This fine man deserves that kind of honor."
Jordan was inducted into the National Athletic trainers Association HoF in 1994.
in addition to his service at Maine, Jordan has served as host trainer for six different NCAA Regional Tournaments held at the University of Maine. When Winkin coached the USA baseball team in 1983, Jordan was trainer. He has also served seven other USA teams as trainer. In April, 1979, he was trainer of the United States Men's Field Hockey Team in Holland and London. In February, 1980, Jordan was trainer during the Xill Olympic Games at Lake Placid, N.Y.
A native of Lisbon Falls, Jordan graduated from Lisbon High Schoo! in 1957. He played varsity football, basketball and baseball. As a senior, he was captain of ail three sports.
Jordan attended Colby College for two years, then transferred to the University of Maine at Orono, where he earned his B.S. degree In education and physical education in 1963. Jordan also completed requirements for a M.Ed. degree in education and physical education at Maine in 1969.
He was a student assistant trainer at Maine 1960-63 and teacher trainer-coach at Brewer junior-senior high school 1963-1965.
Since 1965, Jordan has been head athletic trainer at Maine. He has been associated in clinics with several physicians who specialize in care of pitching arms, including Dr. Arthur Pappas of the Boston Red Sox.
Jordan worked with Dr. Pappas in the development of the renowned "Pappas Program" used by many baseball programs for their pitchers.
Maine's program in conjunction with Jordan and Pappas tested this program.
Jordan's distinguished reputation brought him many professional honors.
in 1979, he was recipient of the Distinguished Service Award, presented by the Eastern Athletic Trainers Association. In 1992, Jordan was honored for his outstanding contributions by the Maine Interscholastic Athletic Directors Association.
Since 1982 Jordan has served as a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association ethics Committee. in 1993 he was elected to the National Athletic Trainers Association Honors and Awards Sub-Commitee.
Wes Jordan was hired by Athletic Director Hal Westerman in 1965 while Wes was teaching at Brewer
High School. He began college at Colby, where he played football, before transferring to Maine where he
also lettered in that sport. His honors were many, including membership in the National Athletic Trainers
Association Hall of Fame, State of Maine Hall of Fame, University of Maine Hall of Fame, and he was
selected to serve as athletic trainer for several USA baseball teams and for the U. S. team at the 1980
Winter Olympics at Lake Placid.
From U Maine Alumni Magazine
WES JORDAN ATHLETIC TRAINING EDUCATION COMPLEX
A new athletic training education facility, dedicated to the
memory of Wes Jordan, was dedicated on September 15, 2006,
at Lengyel Hall. It is home to the University’s new curriculumbased athletic training academic program. It features
completely renovated space and state-of-the-art equipment for
use by faculty members and students in the program.
The facility was built following a fund-raising campaign headed
by Mark Letendre, director of umpiring medical services for Major
League Baseball and a devoted student of Wes during his
undergraduate days; and Gary Thorne, nationally-prominent
sportscaster and good friend and admirer of Wes during his
college days as well. Some $875,000 was raised with
contributions from more than 500 individuals. Also playing a
most prominent role in the campaign was O. J. Logue, associate
dean of the College of Education. Among major contributors
were two of Maine’s most prominent baseball alumni, Mike
Bordick and Billy Swift, and former hockey standout Art
Demoulas.
The heart of the program is the Wes Jordan Athletic Training Complex, a spacious, recently renovated facility that features classrooms, an aqua-therapy lab, a rehabilitation lab, and a lab designed to replicate an athletic training room. Each of these labs has supplies and equipment that a certified athletic trainer would use in the field, providing real-world experience in a state-of-the-art on-campus setting.
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