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14 Athletes Supported by Athletes' Performance Selected in First Round of 2011 NFL Draft

April 28, 2011

Athletes' Performance is honored to have trained 14 athletes selected in the first round, including six of the top 10 selected in the 2011 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28th. The 14 first round selections are the most ever supported by Athletes’ Performance. This brings the total first round selections supported by Athletes’ Performance to 75.

These athletes also join the previous five #1 NFL picks who trained for the NFL Combine at Athletes’ Performance, including Sam Bradford (St. Louis Rams, QB, 2010), Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions, QB, 2009), Jake Long (Miami Dolphins, OT, 2008), JaMarcus Russell (Oakland Raiders, QB, 2007), and Mario Williams (Houston Texans, DE, 2006).

A.J. Green, the 4th overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals, said of his experience at Athletes’ Performance, “Some of the stuff they’ve taught me, I never thought I could do. Working with the Athletes’ Performance team and getting my speed down has really helped me. I feel much faster, I still have the same footwork, but just learned a lot of new techniques to really improve my speed a lot.”

Christian Ponder, the 12th overall selection chosen by the Minnesota Vikings, shared that same sentiment, saying, “I enjoyed my time at Athletes’ Performance. I've never experienced personal gains in strength and speed in such a short time period. They more than fully prepared me for the Combine and my NFL career.”

During their Combine and Pro Day preparations, athletes experienced daily strength, power, and speed training, along with personalized nutrition, physical therapy, and recovery services, position-specific work, and Combine-specific preparations for team interviews and the Wonderlic test.

Athletes’ Performance is proud to have supported the 14 athletes who trained at one of the four Athletes’ Performance facilities and were selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, and looks forward to supporting them throughout their NFL careers. These players include:

3. Marcell Dareus, DT, University of Alabama – Buffalo Bills
4. A.J. Green, WR, University of Georgia – Cincinnati Bengals
6. Julio Jones, WR, University of Alabama – Atlanta Falcons
7. Aldon Smith, DE, University of Missouri – San Francisco 49ers
9. Tyron Smith, OT, University of Southern California – Dallas Cowboys
10. Blaine Gabbert, QB, University of Missouri – Jacksonville Jaguars
11. J.J. Watt, DE, University of Wisconsin – Houston Texans
12. Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State University – Minnesota Vikings
14. Robert Quinn, DE, University of North Carolina – St. Louis Rams
19. Prince Amukamara, DB, University of Nebraska – New York Giants
23. Danny Watkins, G, Baylor University - Philadelphia Eagles
24. Cameron Jordan, DE, University of California - New Orleans Saints
27. Jimmy Smith, DB, University of Colorado - Baltimore Ravens
31. Cameron Heyward, DE, Ohio State University - Pittsburgh Steelers

Athletes’ Performance wishes the remaining 75 players that prepared with Athletes’ Performance the best of luck in hearing their names called as the NFL Draft continues this evening and concludes on Saturday.

Click here to see photos of the Combine/Pro Day training across the four Athletes' Performance facilities, or watch these videos to see how ESPN captured the training of Blaine Gabbert, J.J. Watt, Prince Amukamara, and A.J. Green at Athletes' Performance in Arizona.