Get to know Combine Athlete Jeff Cottam

Jeff Cottam, TE from Tennessee, has been training at D1 Nashville to prepare for the NFL Combine and Pro Day on March 17th. "My favorite NFL team growing up was the Dallas Cowboys. To me, the best player in this year's NFL draft is Eric Berry because I practiced with him, he's a hard worker, and a great athlete. My least favorite college football team is the Florida Gators. The player I would least like to go against in the NFL is Brian Urlacher, LB from the Chicago Bears. I feel that a team should draft me because I have size, speed, talent, and natural ability to play football. My favorite thing about Nashville is the music that plays at D1!"

D1's Jared Veldheer is enjoying the Combine experience

Jared Veldheer plopped down in a chair, set down his backpack, and smiled. Here he was, an offensive tackle out of tiny Hillsdale College, beginning the biggest job interview of his life at the NFL combine. And unlike some of his peers, he was in no hurry for it to end. CLICK HERE to read the rest of the article. Good luck at the Combine Jared!

D1 Columbus to host MMA seminars

MMA fighter Urijah Faber will be hosting two seminars, 11am and 12:30pm, at D1 Columbus on Sunday March 7. CLICK HERE to register for this event, and a portion of the proceeds will go to benefit the Children's Body Image Foundation. Come out to D1 Columbus for a great event and help support C.B.I.F.!

Jordan Shipley Gives Pre-Combine Tour at D1

Athlon Sports came out to D1 to get with Jordan Shipley and get a good idea what D1 Combine Training is all about. CLICK HERE to read the story.

D1's Ciron Black Preparing for NFL

When hundreds of thousands of dollars are at stake, making change isn't a problem. That's why Ciron Black, a former star offensive tackle at LSU, has no qualms about moving to guard or center in the NFL. "Whatever the coaches want," he said last week at D1 Sports Training in suburban Nashville as he prepared for the upcoming NFL Scouting Combine. "There are certainly teams that are looking at me at different positions, and I'll do whatever they want, whether it's guard, center or tackle. CLICK HERE to read more of the Rivals.com story.

ESPN Goes Live From D1 for Tebow Interview

CLICK HERE to see the video of ESPN's Live interview with Tim Tebow from D1. Look for Jordan Shipley from Texas jumping in the background.

D1's Head Trainer, Kurt Hester, is interviewed about training Tebow

Kurt Hester and the trainers and coaches at D1 Sports Training have a big problem with Tim Tebow’s work ethic. “He just goes full-out all the time,” Hester said over the weekend. “His mentality is, ‘I’m going to throw it 80 yards,’ and I’m like, ‘No, we’re going to throw it 5.’ That’s maybe his only negative, that you have to rein him in a little bit.” CLICK HERE to read the rest of the article.

Tim Tebow Continues to Work Hard at D1

Get to know Combine Athlete Will Harris

Will Harris, S from USC, has been training at D1 Nashville to prepare for the 2010 NFL Combine. "My favorite NFL team growing up was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The best player in this year's draft in my opinion is me, because everyday I believe it! My least favorite college football team is the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The player I would least like to go against in the NFL is Peyton Manning, QB from the Indianapolis Colts. I feel that a team should draft me because I'm the hardest working player on the field. The thing I like most about Nashville is the slow pace environment and laid back atmosphere."

New D1 Knoxville facility coming soon

D1 Knoxville is building a new facility and will be located at 10258 Hardin Valley Road. CLICK HERE to read the full story from knoxnews.com.

D1's Jared Veldheer Drawing Big Attention

Jared Veldheer is preparing for the draft just like any other NFL hopeful. He just took a different route to get here. At D1 Sports Training in suburban Nashville, Veldheer -- who played at Division II Hillsdale (Mich.) College -- is running through cones on the same artificial turf where another offensive tackle, Ole Miss' Michael Oher, trained before becoming a first-round pick a year ago. On the other side of a partition from Veldheer is Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, who is lifting weights. CLICK HERE to read more from Rivals.com's story.

D1 Knoxville's James Normand signs with Tennessee Tech

D1 Knoxville would like to congratulate James Normand, an Offensive Lineman out of Oak Ridge High School and D1 Knoxville athlete, who has signed with Tennessee Tech. CLICK HERE to read the full story from the Oak Ridger News Paper. Congratulations on a great High School career Norman and we look forward to hearing about your continued success on the collegiate level!

D1 Knoxville partners with goalkeeper coach Don Maples

D1 Knoxville is proud to be partnering with Coach Don Maples to begin specialized goalkeeping training with some of the area’s top players. Coach Maples most recently held the head coaching position for the women's soccer squad at Montreat College in North Carolina. Maples has also served as a professional staff coach with the Knoxville Football Club (KFC) for the last five years and has over 27 years playing/coaching experience. He was the Director of the Goalkeeping Academy at KFC while also coaching primarily on the women’s side of the club. His teams have won three state championships, and have finished as a Region 3 Finalist and Semi-Finalist. He is a USSF “B” License Coach and holds the NSCAA National Goalkeeping License.

Get to know Combine Athlete Jared Veldheer

Jared Veldheer, OL from Hillsdale College, has been preparing for the upcoming NFL combine at D1 Nashville. "My favorite NFL team growing up was the Detroit Lions. The best player in the draft to me is Ndomakung Suh, DL from Nebraska, because he is an all-around great talent and an explosive player. My least favorite college football team is Oklahoma. The player I would least like to go against in the NFL is Dwight Freeney, DE from the Indianapolis Colts. I feel that a team should draft me because I have quick feet for somebody my size and I have determination to do whatever it takes to win. My favorite thing about Nashville is the country music!"

D1 Columbus Co-Owner is traded to the New York Rangers

Jody Shelley, D1 Columbus Co-owner, was traded from the San Jose Sharks to the New York Rangers. CLICK HERE to read the full article on the trade. Good luck with the Rangers Jody!

D1 Recruiters volunteer at Merecedes Kids Marathon in Birmingham

D1 Recruiters, Stephen Madrid and Mike Long, volunteered at the Mercedes Kids Marathon in Birmingham on Feb 13th. Stephen and Mike were tasked with organizing the kids from each age group in to manageable groups (waves) at the starting line. Each wave was then started with the dropping of the rope that separated the kids from the group in front and behind them. In all, there were over 3200 athletes from grades K - 5th grade who registered to run the race. The Mercedes Kids Marathon kicked off with the first age group starting at 10:00am, which was the fifth grade, then each following age group was started 12 minutes after the preceding group. Mike and Stephen had just enough time to bring in kids from group areas, organize them in waves, and then walk them to the starting line. Great job Stephen and Mike on contributing to the success of the Mercedes Kids Marathon! (Mike Long is pictured above)

Crompton and Rogers Prepare for Pro Day

D1's Austin Rogers is preparing knee for Pro Day

Austin Rogers, WR from Tennessee, suffered a torn ACL last July that forced him to miss his senior season. "I'm just trying to come out for Pro Day (March 17) and run fast, be able to do all the agility drills well without any problems so the scouts can see me, see that this knee is 100 percent and that I'm ready to come out. Hopefully I'll run fast, catch well at Pro Day and we'll go from there." Rogers did both of those well during a light workout Thursday at D1 Sports outside of Nashville, moving easily through his routes and cutting without any limitations. But he'll have plenty of questions to answer as he prepares for the NFL draft in April. CLICK HERE to read the rest of the article.

D1 Experience with Croyle, Ryans and Flowers Coming to Birmingham

D1 Birmingham co-owners Brodie Croyle, DeMeco Ryans and Vonetta Flowers will be hosting a FREE training event on Saturday, March 6 at 10:00 am-Noon at Hoover High School for ages 7-up! CLICK HERE to register.

D1's Jonathan Crompton Working Hard for Draft

“You always want to get bigger, faster and stronger,” Crompton said. “Coming out here and throwing with these guys and trying to get timing down with them, that always helps for pro day and things like that. Mainly coming out here and getting the chance to hang out with these guys, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and getting better at the same time.” CLICK HERE to read more in the Nashville City Paper. Also CLICK HERE to read what D1's Jordan Shipley had to say about Crompton.

AJ Hawk and Mike Vrabel Featured for Good Work

Derick Byrd, who is missing his left leg, was joined at D1 by A.J. Hawk and Mike Vrabel. CLICK HERE to check out the story.

Zayne Riggins is Huntsville Hospital Sports Center Athlete of the Week

Our first Athlete of the Week for February will leave behind a legacy at Madison Academy for others to mirror for years to come. Zayne Riggins and success go hand-in-hand. This young man has been a 3-year varsity letterman, team and defensive captain, and was named to the 3A All-State Team…and that’s just football. Zayne is also a 2-year letterman for varsity basketball and a letterman running on the Mustangs track team. In the classroom, it’s much of the same outstanding accomplishments. He’s been named a Student of Distinction, been named to his school’s Principal’s list, has been an active member of the National Honors Society and even managed to win Homecoming King. In the little spare time he has, Zayne is a Math and Science tutor, a youth leader at his church, and a mentor for younger kids. Congratulations, Zayne!

D1's A.J. Hawk and Mike Vrabel do PSA for CBIF

Get to know Combine Athlete Austin Rogers

Austin Rogers, WR from Tennessee, has been training at D1 Nashville to prepare for the upcoming NFL combine. "My favorite NFL team growing up was the Tennessee Titans. I think the best player in the draft is Eric Berry, S from Tennessee, because he was my teammate and I know how talented he is. My least favorite college football team is the Florida Gators. The player I would most like to go against in th NFL is Darrelle Revis, CB from the New York Jets. I think a team should draft me because of my speed, my hands, and my knowledge of the game. My favorite thing about Nashville is the Nashville Sounds."

Grace Christian Academy Football Team will be training at D1 Knoxville

D1 Knoxville has joined with the Grace Christian Academy football team in which D1 will provide coaches on-site to perform speed, agility and strength training until the students finish classes this May. D1 Knoxville is very proud to partner with GCA and we look forward to helping these athletes take their training to the next level!

5 athletes from D1 Huntsville sign athletic scholarships

D1 Huntsville had five athletes sign college scholarships, two from Huntsville High School and three from Grissom High School. The two Huntsville High signees were Terrence Jones, signed to play football at Troy University, and Riley Siniard, signed to play football at Southern Illinois University. The three Grissom High signees were Bobby Copeland, signed a soccer scholarship to attend the Coast Guard Academy, Abby Phillips, signed a soccer scholarship to attend University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB), and Zach Clark, signed a soccer scholarship to attend Coastal Carolina. Congrats to all the signees on your athletic scholarships and good luck as you take the next step in your athletic careers!
(Riley Siniard is pictured above)

D1's Jordan Shipley participates in All-Star Challenge

Jordan Shipley, who has been training at D1 Nashville for the NFL combine, participated in the 2010 Mercedes-Benz College Football All-Star Challenge in Miami. At the competition, he competed against Dez Bryant from Oklahoma State, Mardy Gilyard from Cincinnati, and Damian Williams from USC. All the wide receivers competed in two events: the Mercedes Benz Routes competiton and the Denny's Hands Competition. Shipley finished 2nd with a time of 17.76 seconds in the Mercedes Benz Routes competition and finished 1st in the Denny's Hands Competition with a time of 27.32 seconds. CLICK HERE to view the video. Congrats Jordan on your success in the competitions!

Get to know Combine Athlete Michael Hoomanawanui

Michael Hoomanawanui, TE from Illinois, has been training at D1 Nashville for the upcoming NFL Combine. "My favorite NFL team growing up was the Dallas Cowboys. I think that the best player in the draft is Ndamukong Suh, DL from Nebraska, because he's the complete package. My least favorite college football team is the Iowa Hawkeyes. There's not one player I would mind going against in the NFL because I feel that I'm ready. I feel that a team should draft me because I know that I can make an immediate impact. My favorite thing about Nashville is all the great music."

Big Names Backing New Birmingham-Area Training Facility

Two former Crimson Tide football teammates now in the NFL have joined with an Olympic gold medalist to bring a new sports training facility to the metro area. Former Alabama quarterback Brodie Croyle and former Tide linebacker DeMeco Ryans have partnered with Olympic bobsled medalist Vonetta Flowers as athlete co-owners for the D1 Sports Training facility that is scheduled to open in Homewood this spring. CLICK HERE to read more from the Birmingham News.

D1 Little Rock's Blake James signs with Georgia State University

Blake James, linebacker from Little Rock Central High School, signed a football scholarship to attend Georgia State University. Blake has been training at D1 Little Rock. Congratulations Blake on signing with the Georgia State University football team! (Blake is pictured with D1 PT Josh Landers and D1 Little Rock Facility Coordinator Anthony Lucas)

D1's Derek Hardman performs well at Texas vs. Nation practice

"Eastern Kentucky's Derek Hardman is another prospect working inside here after spending most of his career at left and right tackle. Coaches complimented Hardman this week on how much he's improved at the position during the week. By Wednesday, he looked comfortable at left guard, anchoring well and displaying agility moving behind the line on trap plays. Watch for him to be a nice late-round pick up." This was written in an article by Chad Reuter, NFLDraftScout.com Senior Analyst. CLICK HERE to read more. Good luck in the Texas vs. Nation game on Saturday Derek!

Get to know Combine Athlete Lee Sweeney

Lee Sweeney, QB from Tennessee Tech, is training at D1 Nashville for the upcoming NFL Combine in Indianapolis. "My favorite NFL team growing up was the Miami Dolphins. The best player in this year's draft is Eric Berry, S from Tennessee. My least favorite college football team is a tie between Austin Peay and Eastern Kentucky. The player I would least like to go against in the NFL is Dwight Freeney, DE from the Indianapolis Colts. I feel that a team should draft me because I know the game well enough to compete at the highest level, and I have a good arm. My favorite thing about Nashville is the minor league baseball team, the Nashville Sounds."

D1's Crompton and Veldheer impress scouts at Texas vs. Nation practice

"Tennessee quarterback Jonathan Crompton and Hillsdale left tackle Jared Veldheer were hard for scouts to take their eyes off in Tuesday's practice and that will be a recurring theme this week. They are odds-on favorites to be the highest-drafted players from this game." This was written in an article by Chad Reuter, NFLDraftScout.com Senior Analyst. CLICK HERE to read more. Keep up the great work and good luck in the Texas vs. Nation game guys!

Greenville Character Athlete of the Month

Blake Navarro is D1 Greenville's January Character Athlete of the Month. Blake trains in D1's Prep Group (Ages 15-18) with Coach Terrence. January's Character Athlete Word of the Month is RESPECT. Blake is an offensive and defensive MVP baseball player and he is only a sophomore! He constantly brings a positive energy to the group and shows it by going the extra mile in every drill. Blake always shows RESPECT to his coaches, fellow athletes and competition. Congratulations on the accomplishments Blake and keep training hard!

Jermain Taylor Takes D1 Training to the Next Level

D1 Little Rock co-owner Jermain Taylor decided to take his first break from boxing in over 20 years. Arkansas Business has chronicled his career and his current training at D1 in a recent feature story. Click here to check out this great read.

Knoxville Character Athlete of the Month

Samuel & Tommy Jordan are D1's January Character Athletes of the Month. Samuel & Tommy are brothers who train in D1's Rookie Group (Ages 7-11) with Coach Bruce. January's Character Athlete Word of the Month is RESPECT. Samuel and Tommy are two of the most RESPECTFUL athletes to ever train with us at D1. Not only are they 'yes sir', 'no sir' kids, but they are RESPECTFUL to all the other athletes and coaches as well. They come from a great family and credit is due to thier proud parents. Congratulations to the Jordan brothers as they continue to set an example for everyone at D1!

Get to know Combine Athlete Al Smith

Al Smith, DT Northwestern State, is training and preparing for the upcoming NFL Combine. "My favorite NFL team growing up was the New Orleans Saints baby, Who Dat Nation! I think that Ndamukong Suh, DL from Nebraska, is the best player in the draft because it's un-real to see him dominate everyone and he has talent that people like me pray for. My least favorite college football team is my in-state rival, McNeese State Cowboys of Lake Charles, LA. The players I would least like to go against in the NFL are Jake Long and Joe Thomas. I feel that a team should draft me because I have a relentless attitude. I will work and work and work to be the best that I can possibly be. My favorite thing about Nashville is that the people are great and the scenery is awesome, I love it!"