The Miles Austin Project (revisited)

Combine Preparation

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!

The 'MILES AUSTIN PROJECT'

-Joe D.

6 Comments

THE FINAL CHAPTER!

Combine Preparation

 

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.

 

“With the 15th pick of the 2009 NFL draft, the Houston Texans select, Brian Cushing, linebacker, USC.”

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…

Donald Brown, UConn, running back

1st Round Draft Pick, Indianapolis Colts

 

Tony Fiammetta, Syracuse, fullback

4th Round Draft Pick, Carolina Panthers

Kevin Brock, Rutgers, tight end

Signed free agent contract with Carolina Panthers

Greg Isdaner, West Virginia, guard

Signed free agent contract with Dallas Cowboys

Alex Fletcher, Stanford, center/guard

Signed free agent contract with New Orleans Saints

 

That's one BADASS crew; each and every one of them earned their success. Keep an eye out for them on Sunday's real soon...

Joe D.

5 Comments

Brian Cushing's training featured on NFL Network!

Combine Preparation

Check out this segment that is currently airing on the NFL Network...

Brian Cushing - Training for the future

Joe D.

1 Comment

New weekly training plan for NFL Combine clients

Combine Preparation

Q: Coach DeFranco – I’ve been following your posts on elitefts.com and your website regarding the resisted sprints you have been having your combine athletes perform this year..your guys look great btw. I’ve been following you since 2004 and I don’t recall you performing resisted sprints with previous combine classes? Is this something new? Where do you fit them into the weekly training plan?

Also who will you be sending to the nfl combine this year? I always enjoy following your guys. All the best to you and your athletes coach.

A: Phil,

Yes, we have been performing more resisted sprints this year with our Combine crew because I made an adjustment to the weekly plan (compared to previous years). The main adjustment I made this year was that I dropped our lower body strength day during the final 4 weeks of preparation. I did this for two major reasons:

 #1 – The 3 athletes we are sending to Indy are all incredibly STRONG already. In other words, they were all “strong enough” to run fast, jump high and perform well on the Combine tests. Adding 10-15 pounds to their 1RM squat would do little to improve performance in the Combine tests at this point. And because they are all so strong, their heavy lower body strength day would end up doing more “harm” than good leading into the Combine; this is because it takes them a couple days to recover from the type of weights they were moving. So after the first 3-4 weeks of preparation, we dropped the barbell squats and traditional “weightroom” lower body day. These guys only have about 7 weeks to prepare, so every day of recovery counts.

 #2 – Although all 3 of these guys possess incredible lower body strength, they weren’t using all their strength when they ran because their technique was off. So I wanted to change their traditional lower body strength day into a day that would help them better translate their strength to their sprints. I also wanted this workout to be easier to recover from than a traditional weightroom workout. This is what brought about our “resisted sprint” day.

Although I don’t want to give away too many specifics, I will share with you a very general outline of what our final 3 weeks of prep for the NFL Combine looks like:

MONDAY – Max-Effort Upper Body Strength Workout

TUESDAY – 40-yard dash technique, Vertical/Broad Jump technique

WEDNESDAY – Active Recovery (foam roller, lax ball, hurdle mobility, one-on-one stretching, optional “vanity” lifting while athletes are waiting to get stretched)

THURSDAY – 20-Yard Shuttle, 3-Cone Drill technique

FRIDAY – Rep Upper Body Strength Workout

SATURDAY – Resisted Sprints followed by 10-yard sprints / Football drills

SUNDAY – Off

This template, coupled with our strict nutrition program and the soft tissue work these guys are getting daily, has been a recipe for success! The transformations thus far have been borderline freaky!!

Speakin’ of FREAKY, here are the three guys that we will be sending to Indy this year! All three of these guys are freaky strong, fast as hell…and JACKED! (As you can probably see by their photos, this is the most educated/dedicated class we've ever had regarding their meal plans and supplementation.) 

Check these guys out…

 Cush needs no introduction…if you live on this planet, you know Brian Cushing. He was featured in my original “Skinny Bastard” article when he was a junior in high school… Five years later, he is vaulting up the NFL draft boards as one of the best defensive players in the nation! Cush is one of those rare athletes that don’t come around very often; he possesses superior genetics, world-class football skills, an insane work ethic…and an attitude to be the best! Have fun watching him at the NFL Combine and then on Sunday’s for a long time to come.

 Tony continues the tradition of badass fullbacks in our facility…and he just may be the best of the best! NFL.com lists Tony as the #1 fullback prospect in the nation…and rightfully so! He will undoubtedly be the strongest fullback at the Combine, but get ready to be shocked with his speed numbers! 

 Can anyone find me a leaner, more muscular 330-pound lineman than Greg?! If so, I would like to meet him! (I'm trying to get Greg to spray tan so he really impresses NFL scouts with his physique, but I think it's a lost cause haha! The tanning salon is one place you will NOT find this animal!) The most impressive thing about Greg is how well he moves for such a big - I mean, HUGE - guy! He consistently runs shuttle times that are on par with tight ends and some running backs! Get ready to hear more about him after his performance at the Combine!

Indianapolis, here we come!!!

Joe D.

0 Comments