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Meet our 2012 NFL Combine/Pro Day Class!
During the past month, I have received at least two dozen requests to "meet" this years class of NFL hopefulls. I think it's very cool how my website audience likes to "follow" the athletes we train during this time of year, as they embark on their journey to "play on Sundays". I think people enjoy following our guys because they know we attract "blue collar" athletes that thrive on out-working the competition and proving the "experts" wrong. As many of you know, my gym earned it's "Combine reputation" by helping small-school kids, longshots, and underdogs make it! In other words; we don't babysit our athletes! We work hard and we work smart in order to get jaw-dropping results in the little time we have with these guys.
So for those of you who like getting the "inside scoop" with regards to who's in New Jerey preparing for the NFL, here you go!
*Brett was ranked the #1 Prospect at the All-Star Classic game in Arkansas. CLICK HERE to check it out!
*Mike was ranked as one of the Top 3 Prospects at the All-Star Classic in Arkansas; he received the Offensive MVP of the game with his 120-yard performance! Scouts also commented on his incredible physique during weigh-ins! Check out the fourth paragraph of this article!
D3 All-American & East Region Defensive Player of the Year
Chad was one of only two Division 3 players invited to the All-Star Classic game in Arkansas...he finished the game with 7 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble!
I am extremely excited about this crew....they are definitely a badass bunch! (There are some closet "FREAKS" in this crew that will shock a lot of people at their Pro Day's...trust me on this one :) I'll keep everyone posted on their Combine and Pro Day performances!
Thanks for your interest in our athletes!
-Joe D.
Is There Something Wrong with my Balls?!?
Anyone who reads this blog knows that we prefer to improve POWER in our athletes through the performance of various jumps and throws. The "problem" is - ever since we moved into our bigger facility (and we're able to perform more med ball throws) - I have spent a small fortune replacing medicine balls! Since this summer, I have spent over $1500 on med balls! Are our athletes really that strong?!?! Or, maybe there just aren't enough companies that make med balls for gyms/athletes that actually use them properly?! Rest assured, we're not "trying" to break them. In fact, I'd estimate that 60% of our throws are performed on astro turf and the other 40% are against concrete walls. (This is how you're supposed to use med balls, isn't it?!)
So here's the deal...
I'm calling out any equipment manufacturer or medicine ball company that's willing to put their money where their mouth is! I have bought med balls from about 10 different companies and none of them have lasted a full year! I'm not impressed!
Do YOU have the BALLS to make it in DeFranco's Gym?!
If so, email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and tell me why your balls are worthy of my gym! (Write "Tough Balls" in the subject line of your email.)
If your balls pass the test, they will be featured in an ASK JOE blog post and you will be the very first banner ad worthy of this website -- that is, besides my own products :)
Badass gym,
Badass athletes,
Badass equipment,
...but we just don't have the balls!
Who's going to accept my challenge?! HELP!
-Joe D.
2 Comments
The Miles Austin Project (revisited)
Every professional athlete has a "story" of what they had to go through "behind the scenes" in order to make it to the 'BIG STAGE'. Miles Austin is certainly no exception.
Most of the readers of this website probably remember me raving about this "longshot" from little Monmouth College that we were preparing for the 2006 NFL Combine. Even though he wasn't a household name at the time, everyone in this gym knew that there was something special about him. He had what many people refer to as "it". After only one day in my gym, Miles quickly became the "leader" of our 2006 NFL Combine Class...his work ethic, willingness to learn, personality and positive energy were contagious.
Miles took our program so seriously and his results were so amazing that I prepared an entire seminar about his preparation for the NFL. Back in 2006, I presented this power point presentation (The Miles Austin Project) at the EliteFTS VIP Seminar in Syracuse, NY to 50 "VIP's".
This past Thursday, millions of people sat on their couch - after stuffing themselves with turkey - and watched Miles torch the Raiders for 145 yards and a touchdown in front of a national audience.
So without further ado; here's a little "DeFranco's Training history" for you! Click the link below to see the original power point presentation that was given almost 4 years ago...when Miles Austin was just a "longshot" from some small school in New Jersey that not many people ever heard of.
Enjoy!
-Joe D.
7 Comments
THE FINAL CHAPTER!
At approximately 6:00pm EST on Saturday, April 25th, I experienced the most memorable moment in my 12 years in this business. It was at this time that the Houston Texans drafted Brian Cushing with the 15th pick in the 1st Round of the 2009 NFL Draft.
Anyone who reads this website is well aware that Cush has been training with us since he was a 16-year-old “skinny bastard”. You are probably also well aware that - although Cush is one of the hardest-working, most gifted athletes on the planet - many of his accomplishments have been “overshadowed” by unfair negativity, criticism and false accusations. You would think after being a four-year starter, team captain, Rose Bowl MVP and All-American at the most prestigious college football program on the planet; there shouldn’t be much to criticize, right? Unfortunately, this has never been the case for Brian Cushing...
When he chose to attend USC, everyone said he would never play there; once he played, they called him injury-prone; then there were the steroid rumors that haunted him throughout his career even though he constantly proved these rumors false; the list goes on and on for Cush. But, as the old saying goes, “It’s lonely at the top”. Nobody learned this more than Brian Cushing.
Needless to say, Brian Cushing’s path to the NFL Draft has been far from easy for him. But, throughout his marathon journey of ups & downs, he remained humble, level-headed and focused! He also continued to out-work his competition on a daily basis.
When NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, made the above statement, all of the criticism, rumors and false accusations disappeared in an instant. The "900-pound gorilla" was lifted from Brian Cushing's back. Watching Cush walk up on that stage and hold up that jersey was one of the most surreal moments in my professional career. He made it! All the hard work paid off and the “good guy” won in the end.
The icing on the cake was when Cush motioned to the security guard who was standing in front of the Radio City Music Hall stairwell leading up to the stage. The security guard honored Cush’s request and let me and six other members of Cush’s entourage up on stage to celebrate the moment with him and his family. It’s a moment I will never forget.
Immediately after being drafted, Cush got swept away by what seemed like 1000 members of the media. After doing interviews the entire night and only getting 3 hours of sleep, he had to hop on the first flight to Houston. Once he landed in Houston, he spent all day signing autographs, doing interviews, touring the facilities and meeting the coaching staff.
At 11:00pm Sunday night, I received a text from Cush. I was kind of shocked to see his name in my phone because I knew he was in Houston and I figured he would have been passed out from exhaustion after being up for almost 48 hours straight. His text read, “How did all the other guys do?” The “other guys” he was referring to were his training partners while he was preparing for the Combine.
The reason I’m telling this little story is because that text shows what kind of person Cush really is. Even after a life-changing 48 hours in which he became a 1st Round Draft Pick and multi-millionaire, he was concerned with how his training partners did. That speaks volumes about Brian Cushing…and that’s why we’re so happy he proved all of the “outsiders” wrong and accomplished his ultimate goal! After I told him where all of the other guys ended up, his next text was, “I’ll be back in NJ on monday, wat time we training tuesday?” THAT is what Brian Cushing is all about and THAT is why he will continue to succeed throughout his career!
Speaking of Cush’s training partners; I want to give a huge CONGRATS to the following athletes who have trained at our facility and signed with NFL teams this weekend…
5 Comments
Brian Cushing's training featured on NFL Network!
Check out this segment that is currently airing on the NFL Network...
Brian Cushing - Training for the future
Joe D.
1 Comment
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