Thomas D.

I recently retired from the NFL and in the fall of 2015 I coached 1 season of American Youth Football at the Cadet level for the Vallejo Jr. Jaguars. I was the teams Defensive Coordinator and DB/LB Coach and the team finished with a 7-2 record. During my 7 year playing career I would always try to soak up as much knowledge that my strength coaches, position coaches, coordinators, teammates and colleagues had to offer. This bestowed me with a infinite amount of information to then give to my athletes. I am a NESTA Certified Personal Fitness Trainer and am currently working on several other fitness certifications. (ACE, NASM, Kettlebells, TRX, etc) My training philosophy involves teaching my athletes not only what it takes to excel in football on the field, but also what the life of being a collegiate or professional football player entails off the field. My training philosophy also involves both "Teaching by Example" and verbal instruction. Having played at the highest level of competition and competing at a high level, allow me to SHOW my athletes the "correct" or "most efficient" way the skill or technique should be executed. These areas are where I think my training will differ from others and where my accumulated expertise will play a huge role.

High School:
-3 year Letterman in both Football and Basketball. (Hogan HS, Vallejo, Ca; Pinole Valley HS, Pinole, Ca)
-All-MEL (Hogan HS) and All-ACCAL (Pinole Valley HS) honors in both sports each letter year.
-Honored as a Top High School Athlete in the East Bay by Contra Costa Times going into Senior year of High School.

College:
-Attended UC Berkeley on Full Football Scholarship.
-4 year Letterman.
-Led team in tackles Senior Season. (115 tackles, 3rd most in Pac-10 that year)
-Team Captain for entire Senior season.
-188 career tackles (5 for loss), 1 sack, 4 fumble recoveries, 6 forced fumbles.
-1 career interception.
-6 career blocked kicks. (3 punts, 3 FGs)
-Pac-10 Defensive Player of the week for 10 tackle (2 for loss), 1 interception, 3 passes defended, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery game vs Arizona University in 2007.
-Voted teams Most Improved Player after Sophomore season in 2005.
-Voted Team Defensive MVP and Most Valuable Back after Senior season in 2007.
-Earned the nickname "The Sandman" after knocking out an opposing player with 40+ lbs on me (and myself) on a Punt Return in 2006. Video of which can be seen on YouTube.
-Named Defensive MVP in my final game for Cal in the 2007 Armed Forces Bowl. Registered 10 tackles (3 for loss), 2 passes defended, in 3 quarters of play.
-Was invited to both the Under Armour Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine in 2008.

NFL:
-Drafted in the 3rd round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons.
-7 year career. (6 year starter, 1 Pro Bowl)
-During the course of my career I played every position in the "Back 7" (LBs & DBs) at 200lbs. Appearing at Corner, SS, FS, Nickel, Dime or "Backer", depending on the package.
-424 tackles, 3 sacks, 31 passes defended, 15 interceptions, 4 forced fumbles, 1 career defensive touchdown.
-2009 Associated Press All-Joe Team, honoring the best players who didn't make a Pro-Bowl that year.
-2009 NFC Defensive Player of the Week after 7 tackle, 2 interception game vs the Chicago Bears.
-2012 NFC Defensive Player of the Week after 4 tackle, 2 interception, 3 passes defended, 1 fumble recovery game vs the San Diego Chargers.
-2012 voted to the Pro Bowl after 76 tackle, 1 sack, 9 passes defended, 6 interception season.
-Played in several playoff games including Division and Conference Championships.
-Collected interceptions from Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Drew Brees, Cam Newton, Jay Cutler, Kirk Cousins, Josh Freeman, Mark Sanchez, Tavares Jackson & Blaine Gabbert.
-Retired in 2015 after 1 season with the Carolina Panthers.

Each session can encompass 1 of 3 areas of focus, or any combination of the three.
These areas are:
1. Core strength, Balance, Explosiveness, Acceleration & Deceleration. (Translates to Change of Direction)
2. Footwork, Position-specific Agility, Skills & Techniques, "Understanding the Game". (Expanding comprehension of the game of football)
3. Hand Eye Coordination, Reaction Time.
In each area of focus I have literally hundreds of drills and exercises, with varying progressions of difficulty to maximize your performance on the field.
- 10 to 15 minute warmup including Dynamic Stretch routine and Core Activation/Injury Prevention. (Core Activation/Injury Prevention are Athlete Specific)
- 1 hour of exercises and drill work based on selected concentration(s). (Concentrations listed above)
- 10 to 15 minute Cool Down Stretch/Chalk Talk/"Athlete" Life Lessons.
- Expect to be often "Taught by example". I believe seeing it done the right way while also listening to instruction is paramount to athletic development.
- I will be your QB during ball skill drills and position specific drills and also "give you a look" during drills that do not necessarily involve a ball.