NFL prospects come to train at Lakewood Ranch

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Terrance Ganaway always knew he wanted to play in the NFL one day.

Ganaway grew up watching his uncle, linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, play professionally, and from that point on, the Baylor University running back made it his mission to follow suit. Now several years later, Ganaway is on the verge of seeing his lifelong dream true. But first, he’ll have to leave a lasting impression with NFL coaches and scouts.

“I’ve always been one to fight for what I want, and now, I just need to stay healthy and go get it,” Ganaway said.

Ganaway is one of 21 athletes from across the country participating in the NFL Combine Preparation Program at Athletic Edge Sports Performance Training Center in Lakewood Ranch. The program is designed to improve each athlete’s draft selection through superior performance at the college all-star games, including the 2012 Senior Bowl and the East-West Shrine Game, the NFL Combine, NFL personal workouts and college pro days.

“We’re just trying to make them the most marketable prospect they can be at their position,” Athletic Edge Sports strength and conditioning specialist Mike Gough said. “We want them to reach their full potential. It’s about making them stronger, faster and optimizing their bodies for performance.”

Ganaway decided to train with Gough after watching friends and former teammates get results after working with him.

“Just knowing Mike is getting the best results out of his guys,” Ganaway said. “He trained them and got them ready to be evaluated.”

Teammate Phillip Blake agreed.

“Just knowing his previous players got great results,” said Blake, who played center for Baylor. “He’s from Canada, too, and so am I, so that was a plus.”

During the two-month training program, which will run until the end of February, players will train twice a day Monday through Friday and on Saturday mornings, focusing on speed and agility drills, position specific drills and strength and power training, among other drills.

“The toughest part is just trying to get through it right now,” Ganaway said. “It’s easy to be motivated this week, but it’s not just about the next day or a few months from now. You have to be motivated to be the best every day.”

“The conditioning is way more intense than what I’m used to,” Blake said. “The tempo is much faster here than in college. I’ve learned you’re never in the best shape that you think you’re in. Mike pushes us really hard, and he’s always going to push us.”

The players are divided up into three training groups based on their position. Players typically split their 90-minute training sessions between the gym and the Premier Sports Campus at Lakewood Ranch, where they work with directly with their specific position coaches.

“It’s been great,” Gough said of working at Premier. “I’ve always done it outside, but this is the first year that I’ve partnered with Premier. The fields are top-notch. They’re level, well maintained, lined. … It’s a great service for those guys.”

In addition to position specific drills, strength and conditioning and speed and agility drills, the athletes also do yoga, Pilates and video work.

“It’s kind of a two-approach (system),” Gough said. “Part of it is getting their bodies in the best shape they’ve ever been in, and the other is refining their technique with their agility drills and getting their bodies the strongest and fastest they’ve ever been. You put those two things together and you get a great finished product.”

Following the 2012 Senior Bowl, in which Ganaway and Blake are both competing, and the East-West Shrine Bowl, the players will begin focusing their attention on speed and agility drills, including the 40-yard dash and the vertical jump, among others in preparation for the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine Feb. 22-28, in Indianapolis.

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].