By Fernando Rosete

A competitive, successful athlete requires a properly periodized strength and conditioning program that promotes injury prevention and enhances performance. Strength & Conditioning coaches should always consider when it is the best time for an athlete to peak on their performance, and beyond.

During a College Football Playoff press conference, I asked Alabama’s LB#31, Will Anderson Jr.: How do you feel your strength and conditioning program will influence your guys’ performance for this game against what is probably the best offensive line, the best and biggest offensive line in the nation? And also, could you share a specific experience with your strength and
conditioning coaches that you feel has impacted the team to be prepared for that?

Will answered:

“I think our strength and conditioning coaches do an outstanding job with us. Our last lift we just had we had a lot of people PR in the weight room. For it to be towards the end of the season to have those types of numbers with the type of season we had in the SEC, our SEC schedule and going against top talent and being able to still PR in the weight room, I think it’s big. And it speaks volumes for the people working there. Coach Ballou and Doc Rhea, they do an awesome job. As far as this game goes, we’re more than prepared. They prepared us all season, during the season to help us during the season to make sure our bodies are right. They’re not going to let anybody slip away. The weight room numbers have been outstanding. They’ve been doing a great job. The team has been doing a great job lifting and maintaining weight. They have us more than prepared for this game. And like I was saying, they do a great job making sure everybody’s weight is good.”

Hats off to a tremendous job by Dr. Matt Rhea, Coach David Ballou, and their whole strength and conditioning staff. It is impressive to hear some athletes could be obtaining PRs in the weight room a week prior to playing for a national championship.

Will Anderson finished the College Football Playoff Championship game with 4 tackles.  He was named the 2021 winner of the Nagurski Trophy.

PR when it matters the most!

Follow Fernando Rosete on Twitter: @FRStrengthCoach