Friday nights in Byron light up with the glow of stadium lights, and it’s easy to focus on touchdowns, goals, and finish-line sprints. But often, just off to the side, a different kind of hero is at work—one who doesn’t wear a number on her back but is every bit as vital to the success of Byron’s athletes. That’s where you’ll find Jami Puga, Byron High School’s athletic trainer, who has made it her mission to care for and protect the students who give their all in competition.

This is Jami’s second year in Byron and her very first job after completing her degrees at the University of Northern Iowa and Northern Illinois University. Originally from Aurora, she wasn’t a Byron alumna when she arrived, but she was immediately struck by what makes this community special. “The community involvement is unlike anything I have seen,” she said. “It doesn’t just extend between the walls of the high school and out to the field—it’s everywhere. People look out for one another.” For Jami, who once thought she’d become a nurse before discovering athletic training, it was the perfect fit: a small town with a big heart, where her skills could make an immediate difference.

To the uninitiated, the title “athletic trainer” can be misleading. “My family thought I was studying to lift weights when I first told them,” she laughed. In truth, the role is much closer to a blend of emergency responder and physical therapist. Athletic trainers prevent injuries, evaluate and treat them when they happen, oversee rehabilitation, and decide when it’s safe for athletes to return. They carry emergency bags with splints, CPR masks, and AEDs, conduct pregame safety checks, and coordinate with coaches, EMS, and even the fire department. “Athletic trainers are healthcare professionals,” Jami explained. “We are there for athletes on and off the field, and we know when to refer them out. It’s about being ready for anything.”

Her readiness is not theoretical—it’s tested every week. Byron fields dozens of athletes across football, soccer, volleyball, cheer, golf, and cross country each fall alone, with more sports layered on in winter and spring. High-impact contests like football and soccer often pull Jami in multiple directions at once. “There can be nights where football and two soccer games are all happening at the same time,” she said. “I’ve got my Gator ready to go between fields, and I have to prioritize where I’m needed most. But any coach can call me at any time, and I’ll be there.”

Her training taught her to anticipate common injuries—concussions in football, hyperextended knees in soccer, falls in cheerleading—but it also reminded her that anything can happen. “You can get a concussion walking down the street,” she said. “You have to always be prepared.” That mindset extends beyond the sidelines. Jami worked with Byron’s EMS and fire department this year to run emergency care reviews, practicing splinting, spineboarding, and pregame “medical timeouts” to share signals and coordinate equipment checks. “It’s amazing how the whole community is involved in safety,” she said. “We want to be one step ahead.”

Of course, being an athletic trainer is about more than protocols and readiness—it’s about relationships. Jami lights up when she describes the athletes she sees pushing through rehab, driven to return to the sports they love. “They are so motivated,” she said. “It’s my job to guide them, sometimes to tell them, ‘not yet,’ but always to celebrate when they’re ready to play again.” Her compassion extends to the moments when athletes don’t want to be honest about their pain. “Sometimes a kid will say they’re fine because they want to stay in, but as the trainer, I have to make the call. That’s where I’ve gained confidence this past year. It’s about being cautious, conservative, and doing what’s best for them.”

That sense of judgment didn’t develop overnight. As a student, Jami worked under several preceptors—experienced athletic trainers—who gave her space to make evaluations while ensuring she didn’t miss critical calls. Now, with more experience under her belt, she’s paying it forward by mentoring her own athletic training student from Northern Illinois. “Students can teach you just as much as you teach them,” she said. “I wanted to give back the way my preceptors did for me.”

From the outside, Jami’s presence might look routine: a watchful professional with a bag slung over her shoulder. But for Byron’s athletes, her work is anything but ordinary. She is the one who meets them in their hardest moments, steadies them when fear or pain takes over, and walks beside them on the long road back to play. And for Byron families, knowing someone like Jami is there brings comfort every time a whistle blows and a game begins.

Jami may not have grown up in Byron, but in just two short years, she has become one of its guardians—a steady reminder that behind every remarkable play is a web of care, readiness, and heart that makes it all possible.