Hello Blog Fans!

I just finished up my first FBU event in Southern Cali’s own, San Diego.  The camp was held at Cathedral High School, whose football team won the State Champs of last year.  The brand new campus was awesome as it had an Aztec look plus a monastery feel to it.  The camp started off great because I had the chance to individually meet every kid.  All seemed nervous, yet super excited  at the same time.

After the FBU introduction we went immediately down to the dynamic warm up.  Within minutes it was easy to tell who had been working out, and who hasn’t been doing anything but PS3 and nachos all month.  We then went to our “Speed, Burst, Acceleration” drills which included Dice Drills, Hurdles, 40 Yard Dash Technique and Drills, and Pro Agility Technique and Drills.  This went great, as we got a chance to show the kids what we do, and they in return got to show us what they can do. I had a chance to go over with the kids my “38 Yard Dash” technique, a technique which allowed me to run a 4.51 electronic time for NFL scouts at 250 pounds. One kid that immediately stood out was a kid named Kenny Stills.  After talking with Kenny I found out that his dad had coached me when I played in NFL Europe.  His dad played at Wisconsin and went on to play for the Packers. It seems like Kenny is following in his dad’s footsteps, looking to play some Big Ten football of his own in the near future, so I look forward to following his career.

Saturday came fast as it was time to see who can play some football and who is just “bells and whistles”.  The talent was great and the coaches did an excellent job emphasizing proper technique in everything they did.  The position coaches consisted of a group of Techmo Bowl All Stars, including Andre “Full Moon” Rison from the Falcons, and Lorenzo White of the Houston Oilers.  I remember playing as these guys on Nintendo back in the day so it was a great experience to meet them.

Now that the technique aspect was installed, Sunday was more of a competition day.  I had the chance to run into Eric Allen, who left Oakland soon before I joined them, so we had the chance to chat about some Raider football.  After practice we ran the kids through a grueling obstacle course and tested them out in the vertical.  I believe these kids were definitely ready for a long long nap after the camp was over.

Overall I thought the camp was awesome.  I have been to tons of football camps in my life and this had to be one of the best.  Having former NFL players as coaches was a huge plus because these guys have more knowledge about the game than anyone out there.  Plus the mix between technique and competition was a top notch combo.  Most importantly having Athletic Republic there separated the FBU camp from any other camp in the nation.  No matter how good you are at football, it doesn’t mean anything unless you are at your max potential in speed, agility and explosiveness.  Throughout my career, I’ve beaten out numerous football players who were WAY better players than me, simply because I was quicker, faster and stronger than all of them.

I really hope all the kids at the camp take what they learned from all the coaches and apply it to their everyday training.  FBU should just be the beginning of preparation for a successful 2009 season.  I encourage all FBU athletes (and all non-FBU athletes) to find your nearest Athletic Republic to improve your performance, continue to practice the proper techniques of football, and take your game to the next level!

Yours In Speed!

J.R. Niklos