Former Pro Bowler Helps D1 Linemen

From a distance, Brad Hopkins still looks like an NFL player, even if he's much leaner than he was as an offensive tackle for the Titans. He still has a youthful enthusiasm, which serves him well in his role as a football teacher, instructing draft-eligible players at D1 Sports Training in Franklin. CLICK HERE to read more from the Tennessean.

Columbus Character Athlete of the Month

Caylan De Lucia is D1's December Character Athlete of the Month. Caylan is a mulit-sport athlete at Worthington Christian School in Worthington, OH. She trains in D1's Prep Group (Ages 15-18). December's Character Athlete Word of the Month is SELFLESS. Caylan is always very helpful and has a strong desire to see things through to the end. She is not only determined to accomplish her own goals, but helps others reach theirs too. Her SELFLESS leadership is inspiring to everyone at D1 Columbus. Congratulations Caylan!

Chattanooga Character Athlete of the Month

Tanner Dillard is D1's December Character Athlete of the Month. Tanner plays football at Ocoee Middle School. Even though he is only 14 he trains in D1's Prep Group (Ages 15-18) with Coach Justin. December's Character Athlete Word of the Month is SELFLESS. Tanner recently suffered a strained hamstring, which could keep any athlete from training, but not Tanner. He worked to the best of his ability through the injury and finished every exercise. He never asked to be treated differently and continued to support his teammates. His SELFLESSNESS has been an inspiration to everyone at D1. Keep up the great work Tanner!

Nashville Character Athlete of the Month

Emily Patton is D1's December Character Athlete of the Month. Emily trains in D1's Developmental Group (Ages 12-14) with Coach Jackson. December's Character Athlete Word of the Month is SELFLESS. Emily is a great athlete as well as a great listener who pays attention to detail on the field and in the weight room. When group members are struggling, Emily is always quick to put others before herself by assisting them. Her SELFLESSNESS has become contagious as her teammates work together better than ever. Congratulations Emily!

Greenville Character Athlete of the Month

Lauren Hughey is D1's December Character Athlete of the Month. Lauren trains in D1's Developmental Group (Ages 12-14) with Coach Tyler. December's Character Athlete Word of the Month is SELFLESS. Lauren is a 6th grader who plays soccer with CESA. She has been training at D1 for almost one year. Lauren is incredibly SELFLESS whether she is training or competing. No one could ask for a better teammate than Lauren. Her improvement has been tremendous and will continue with all of the hard work she puts into her training. Congratulations Lauren!

Get to know Combine Athlete Derek Hardman

Derek Hardman, OT from Eastern Kentucky, is preparing for the upcoming NFL combine at D1 Nashville. "My favorite NFL team growing up was the Dallas Cowboys because West Virginia doesn't have a pro team and the Cowboys were always on growing up. My least favorite college football team is Western Kentucky University. The player I would least like to go against in the NFL is Jared Allen, DE for the Minnesota Vikings. I have watched Jared Allen spear an elk, so you never know what he will do next! I feel that a team should draft me because I'm a hard working and focused player. My favorite thing about Nashville is all the country music stations."

Huntsville's Character Athlete of the Month

Haley Tolbert is D1's December Character Athlete of the Month. Haley trains in D1's Rookie Group (Ages 7-11) with Coach Terrence. December's Character Athlete Word of the Month is SELFLESS. Haley has always been very consitent and unwavering in her training. Her hard work and strong commitment speak loudly, which make her an excellent leader for new athletes. Her SELFLESS leadership carries over to the softball diamond as the catcher for her team. She is also a great role model to her three younger sisters.

Knoxville's Character Athlete of the Month

Shelby Ferriell is D1's December Character Athlete of the Month. Shelby trains in D1's Rookie Group (Ages 7-11) with Coach Rob. December's Character Athlete Word of the Month is SELFLESS. Shelby is very cooperative with other athletes and is the epitome of a team player. She always helps with picking up equipment, even when she is not asked. Actions speak louder than words, and throughout her training at D1 Shelby has shown a SELFLESS attitude in all of her actions. Congratulations to Shelby, and thank you for such a great attitude!

Little Rock Character Athlete of the Month

Michael Smith is D1 Little Rock's Character Athlete of the Month. Michael is a D1 Executive who trains with Coach Adam. November's Character Athlete Word of the Month is DETERMINATION. Michael's excellence stands out in everything he does. His goal is to work with the FBI. His hard work and DETERMINATION continues to drive him towards that goal. The FBI requires 12 points to enter its Rookie Camp. Before Michael started his training he scored an 11, after his D1 training he scored a 26, more than doubling the required point total. Michael is a true example of what DETERMINATION can do for a person trying to accomplish any goal.

Get to know Combine Athlete Jonathan Crompton

Jonathan Crompton, QB from University of Tennessee, is training at D1 Nashville for the upcoming NFL combine. "My favorite NFL team growing up was the Dallas Cowboys. I feel that Ndamukong Suh, DL from Nebraska, is the best player in this year's draft. My least favorite college football team is the University of Florida. The player I would least like to go against in the NFL is Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed. A team should draft me because I'm competitive, mentally strong, and passionate about helping my team improve and increasing our chance of winning. My favorite thing about Nashville is that it's a country music town."

D1's Jermain Taylor Back at Work

Get to know Combine Athlete Bryan Anderson

Bryan Anderson, WR from Central Michigan, is preparing for the NFL combine at D1 Nashville. "My favorite team growing up was the Detroit Lions. I think the best player in the draft is Ndamukong Suh, DL from Nebraska because he is a beast. My least favorite college football team is Western Michigan. The player I would least like to go against in the NFL is Charles Woodson. I feel that a team should draft me because I'm hard working, fun to be around, and I'm a winner. My favorite thing about Nashville is the great music."

Get to know Combine Athlete Mackenzi Adams

Mackenzi Adams, QB from Vanderbilt University, is training at D1 for the upcoming NFL combine. "My favorite NFL team growing up was the Dallas Cowboys. The best player in the draft is Ndamukong Suh, DL from Nebraska. Every highlight I saw he was completely dominating. My least favorite college football team is Florida. The player I would least like to go against in the NFL is Ed Reed. A team should draft me because I have great work ehtic, I love to compete, and I can't wait to keep improving and getting better. My favorite thing about Nashville is Vanderbilt!"

Tebow Tells Senior Bowl Media He Loves D1

Here is what D1 Combine Athlete Tim Tebow had to say to the Senior Bowl media about his training at D1, "I love it there. They’ve been very supportive and helped me out a lot. ... Just working on a lot of fundamentals, preparation, just learning football, working on football, working on football fundamentals. I feel like my preparation has been really good. I’ve worked extremely hard and feel ready to come in here and have some good practices and hopefully a good game. When I got there, I really felt like I got away. I got away from the hoopla. I got away from everything and to me that was important. When we go to the fields there’s not a lot of people out there. I felt like I can get away and work as hard as I want to and grind and stay focused as much as I want.” Click here for a complete story in the Florida paper.

Peyton Manning and the Colts win AFC Championship

D1 co-owner Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts defeated the New York Jets yesterday to win the AFC Championship. He was 26/39 for 377 yds and 3 touchdowns in the victory against the Jets on Sunday. Peyton and the Colts will go for their second Super Bowl title on Sunday February 7th against the New Orleans Saints in Miami, FL. Congrats on the victory Peyton and good luck to you and the Colts in the Super Bowl!

Tebow and Joseph Training at D1 for Combine

Quarterback Tim Tebow from Florida and defensive tackle Linval Joseph from East Carolina have reported to D1 over the last 10 days to train for the NFL Combine. CLICK HERE for the complete list of players. CLICK HERE to read more about Tebow training in Nashville.

D1 Little Rock's Kemp Truslow wins Wrestling Match

Kemp Truslow trains in the Rookie group at D1 Little Rock with Coach Cedric Vaughn. On January 14th, the Maumelle Mat Hogs defeated Central Arkanas Christian, and Kemp won the 12 and under match. The Rookie group is for ages 7-11, but Kemp wrestles in the 12 and under division. Congratulations on the victory Kemp and keep training hard!

D1's Scott Stallings launches new website

D1 Knoxville's Scott Stallings, a pro golfer on the Nationwide Tour, has launched a new website. To view Scott's new site just click on this link, http://www.stallingsgolf.com/. Good luck on the tour Scott and thanks for showing D1 some love on the site!

Hannah McGee is named D1 Huntsville Athlete of the Week

Our first Athlete of the Week for 2010 makes it a point in her daily life to go one step above the rest of the group. Hannah McGee is setting the pace for all future students at Madison Academy. She's putting her nose to the grind when it comes to her school work. Sporting a 3.97 GPA isn't easy, but Hannah manages to do that, along with active participation in the Astronomy Club, Mu Alpha Theta and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Did we mention she was voted Homecoming Queen this past year? Hannah's true adventure is on the soccer field and the basketball court. She’s been part of a region championship team for both teams and was either voted highest GPA or most improved player by per teammates. Hannah takes her love of sport and shares it with others by being a coach at several school and church camps. She’s also been sharing her knowledge as a tutor to young kids for the past three years. Congratulations Hannah and keep up the great work!

Marauder's Football Team trains at D1 Columbus

D1 Columbus continues to train the Marauder's football team. The Marauder's are a group of local Columbus armed servicemen including, Police, Fire, and Medical. They are a part of the NPSFL, the National Public Safety Football League. Good luck with the training guys!

Family Fun Day at D1 Little Rock

The organization Autism Speaks hosted a Family Fun Day at D1 Little Rock on January 9th. Families enjoyed a fun day of sports training with the D1 staff. Great job Little Rock staff for helping make the Family Fun Day such a huge success!

"Just wanted to thank you for the wonderful job you did on the family fun day at D1. We had a wonderful time, Natalie ran her little butt off and had a great time. The staff and volunteers were so great with the kids, ecspecially Anthony Lucas, what a guy. It's hard to go out in public as you know, so to let them run and play with no worries, we don't get enough of those days." (Quote from one of the parents who attended Family Fun Day)

Dallas Terrell and Dunstan Kendrick to speak at Nike Coaches Clinic

D1 Coaches Dallas Terrell and Dunstan Kendrick are scheduled to speak on March 6 at the Nike Coach of the Year Clinic in Charlotte. Coach Terrell will be speaking on "Getting speed and strength to the next level" and Coach Kendrick will be speaking on "What Coaches should know about concussions". Other scheduled speakers include Head Coach Jim Tressel, The Ohio State University, and Head Coach Ron Zook, University of Illionois. Congratulations to Coach Terrell and Coach Kendrick for being selected to speak at this great event!

Donna L makes D1 Chattanooga famous

RBI Camp at D1 Nashville

RBI Baseball hosted a coaches and players clinic at D1 Nashville. Several players made appearances at the clinic and they included: R.A. Dickey-New York Mets, Tim Dillard-Milwaukee Brewers, Caleb Joseph-Baltimore Orioles, Steve Liddle-Minnesota Twins, Steven Liddle-Minnesota Twins, Jason Maxwell-Ensworth/ Former MLB, Chuck Meriweather-MLB umpire, and Ben Zobrist-Tampa Bay Rays. The clinic was a huge success, and all the coaches and players that attended had a great time! Thank you to all who contributed to making the RBI clinic such a huge success!

Crompton and Graham Begin Combine Training

Quarterback Jonathan Crompton from Tennessee and tight end Jimmy Graham from the University of Miami both reported for D1 Combine prep. They join a group that includes the likes of Jordan Shipley from Texas and Ciron Black from LSU. Good luck guys!

D1 Opens Strong in Cincinnati

D1 Sports Training has opened at Beacon Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Summit Woods campus in Sharonville. The 9,000-square-foot training space features an indoor turf field and a weight room, combined with Beacon’s sports medicine and therapy clinic. CLICK HERE to read more.

D1's Jared Veldheer Making it Big

Check out a story about Hillsdale OT Jared Veldheer, who is training at D1 Sports for the NFL Combine. After being a Division II All-American at Hillsdale, Veldheer is making it big training with many other top players at D1. Click here to read the story.

Shipley and Adams Arrive at D1

Wide Receiver Jordan Shipley from Texas and quarterback Mackenzi Adams from Vanderbilt have arrived at D1 to prepare for the Combine and Pro Day. Fourteen players have now arrived at D1 to train for the NFL Combine and/or their Pro Day.

D1 Cincinnati Opens for Business

Five More Join D1 Combine Group

Five more athletes have joined the D1 Combine prep group. DE Taylor Scott from Central Arkansas, TE Jeff Cottam from Tennessee, S Will Harris from USC, WR Bryan Anderson from Central Michigan and WR Austin Rogers from Tennessee have all begun training at D1 for the NFL Combine and/or college Pro Day. Good luck guys!

St. Francis and D1 to Host Sports Performance Challenge

Test your athletic skills of strength, speed, agility and explosiveness against the best. There is a chance to win college scholarships for top performers along with awards and door prizes.
When: Sat. Jan. 30
Who: 7th - 12th grade boys and girls
Where: D1 Greenville
CLICK HERE for more information and to register.

D1 Athletes in the NFL Playoffs

Congrats to the 24 D1 athletes who are active and will be playing in the NFL Playoffs. The list of the guys are below. Good luck!

Michael Oher, Baltimore Ravens
Le’Ron McClain, Baltimore Ravens
Derek Mason, Baltimore Ravens
Darius Hill, Cincinnati Bengals
Jonathan Luigs, Cincinnati Bengals
Doug Free, Dallas Cowboys

Bobby Carpenter, Dallas Cowboys
Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys
A.J. Hawk, Green Bay Packers
Brandon Underwood, Green Bay Packers
T.J. Lang, Green Bay Packers
Scott Wells, Green Bay Packers
Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts
Antonio Johnson, Indianapolis Colts
Garrett Mills, Minnesota Vikings
J. Leman, Minnesota Vikings
Usama Young, New Orleans Saints
Marvin Mitchell, New Orleans Saints
Jabari Greer, New Orleans Saints
Ryan Fowler, New York Jets
Alan Faneca, New York Jets
Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
Marcus McNeill, San Diego Chargers
Billy Volek, San Diego Chargers

D1's Bobby Carpenter Thinks Beyond Football

Bobby Carpenter has begun to think beyond professional football. He teamed with former Ohio State teammate A.J. Hawk, former Buckeye Mike Vrabel and former Blue Jackets player Jody Shelley in opening D1 Sports Training and Therapy facility in Columbus. The 18,500-square-foot building has an indoor turf football field, a weight room, a viewing gallery and a sports therapy clinic. "It's something we were all passionate about," Carpenter said of his ownership partners. "Outside of Ohio State, there's no other indoor facility in central Ohio." To read more from the Lancaster EagleGazette CLICK HERE.

College Athletes Train During Winter Break

At D1 Knoxville, many college athletes aren't letting their winter break stop their training. Congrats to the D1 Knoxville athletes below for working hard during their break!

o Nick Reveiz- University of Tennessee
o Shane Reveiz- University of Tennessee
o Corey Eichholtz- University of Tennessee
o Michael Hoag- Wake Forest
o Jonathan Jones- Wake Forest
o Dawson Holliday- Yale University
o Garrett Trusler- Gardner Webb

More Report for D1 Combine Training

Three more athletes are reporting for NFL Combine/Pro Day Prep at D1. QB Lee Sweeney from Tennessee Tech, TE Michael Hoomanawanui from Illinois and DT Al Smith from Northwestern State. Good luck guys!

D1 Combine Prep Begins

NFL Combine Prep at D1 has begun. So far Derek Hardman, offensive lineman from Eastern Kentucky, Joe Pawelek, linebacker from Baylor, Jared Veldheer, offensive lineman from Hillsdale and Ciron Black, offensive lineman from LSU, have all reported. Stay tuned as many more report over the coming weeks.

D1 Combine Training from Taylor Smith on Vimeo.

D1's Hawk, Vrabel and Carpenter Predict Rose Bowl