Autumn Lockwood | Women Leading the Way in the NFL and Beyond

Autumn Lockwood knows football. As the daughter of a collegiate football coach, she’s been attending games and “breathing football” since she was born. Now, she holds a highly coveted full-time position as an Associate Performance Coach for the National Football League (NFL) Philadelphia Eagles. But this was not always her plan. Follow her unique professional path, from a criminal justice major and aspiring Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) special agent to coaching at football’s highest level. Learn how the Philadelphia Eagles cultivate a championship culture through never-ending development, strategic staffing, and sport science initiatives. She recounts how mentorship, building a village, and networking enabled her successful career switch. Lockwood and McMahon also discuss coaching challenges and ways the NSCA can push the profession forward through diverse collaboration, uncomfortable conversations, and deeper in-person connections. They conclude by breaking down the calendar training year, key performance indicators, and athlete profiling in professional football.

Connect with Autumn via Instagram: @autumnlockwood, LinkedIn: @autumn-lockwood, or email: alockwood@eagles.nfl.com | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs  

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“I would say getting in the door, it's all about that opportunity and what you do with that, and how you show up every day. The opportunity is always going to present itself once you have built those right relationships, networked, and done what you can, controlled what you can control, to get there. And then once you're there, it's really, OK, I'm going to observe everything. I'm going to be a sponge. I'm going to be so hands-on. I'm going to be an extra set of hands. I'm going to do everything that I can to help this team, this staff, all these departments that go into building a championship culture. I'm going to do what I can to help that.” 3:25

“Having that belief and that support really kind of helped, and then just building that village around you from your family, from the coworkers that you do work with, with your mentors, those are really the people that I leaned on throughout my whole entire career.” 17:40

“There are definitely ups and downs that come with this field. And it's all about how you take care of yourself and how you're able to navigate those personally, and then go from there.” 20:45

[00:00:02.62] Welcome to the NSCA Coaching Podcast, season 8, episode 9.
[00:00:08.02] I would say getting in the door, it's all about that opportunity and what you do with that, and how you show up every day. And so the opportunity is always going to present itself. Once you have built those right relationships, networked, and done what you can, what you can control, to there, and then once you're there, it's really OK. I'm going to observe everything. I'm going to be a sponge.
[00:00:26.99] I'm going to be so hands-on. I'm going to be an extra set of hands. I'm going to do everything that I can to help this team, this staff, all these departments that go into building a championship culture. I'm going to do what I can to help that.
[00:00:39.48] [UPBEAT MUSIC]
[00:00:42.17] This is the NSCA's Coaching Podcast, where we talk to strength and conditioning coaches about what you really need to know, but probably didn't learn in school. There's strength and conditioning, and then there's everything else.
[00:00:52.85] This is the NSCA Coaching Podcast. I'm Eric McMahon, NSCA's coaching and sports science program manager. Today, we're joined by Autumn Lockwood, the associate performance coach with the Philadelphia Eagles. Autumn, welcome.
[00:01:05.59] Thank you so much for having me. I'm super excited.
[00:01:08.34] We've been talking for a little bit now. Ran into you at the NFL Health and Safety Meetings in Orlando, Florida. And this was the first time that the Strength and Conditioning Group in the NFL joined those meetings, so it was significant.
[00:01:22.56] We had the athletic trainers, the performance dieticians, the strength and conditioning coaches, and the equipment managers all there under one roof. There were some collaboration sessions, but we had some really great meetings on the performance side. And it was great seeing you in person.
[00:01:38.48] It was so great to see you in person, too. That was our first one ever, like you said. And I'm just excited for where that can build onto, what that can grow into, and I'm just happy to be a part of it.
[00:01:48.90] So you're with the NFL, Philadelphia Eagles. I want to know-- what's this role like, working at the NFL? You've been to the Super Bowl. You've had a really cool experience, from breaking into the league as, I'll say, a young coach, but an experienced coach. What's that experience been like for you?
[00:02:08.72] Oh, it's been incredible, honestly. My first year, I started as a seasonal associate. And with that role, I was hourly, I would say. So, like, not part-time, because I was still here all the time. But I was paid hourly. And so I didn't travel with the team that first year.
[00:02:27.33] Leading up to the Super Bowl, I kind of got the chance to observe and get that day to woosah and then reset for the next week, getting the guys prepared. I was at all the home games and whatnot. But it was really just such a great introduction. I walked into a great staff that I was able to learn from day one.
[00:02:43.80] And it was really great. And so first year, you never think, oh, my gosh, I'm going to make it to the Super Bowl. And everybody's, like, hey, don't get used to this. This isn't a typical first year. And I was, like, oh, my goodness, I'm just so grateful to be a part of it all, and be able to reach that height in that first year, and then continue to build, and hopefully try to repeat that as years come.
[00:03:06.77] You alluded to this, the pathway of coaches into the NFL seasonal associate-- no travel, initially. What's sort of that progression from getting in the door to becoming the full-time assistant or a head strength and conditioning coach?
[00:03:26.00] Absolutely. I would say getting in the door, it's all about that opportunity and what you do with that, and how you show up every day. And so the opportunity is always going to present itself once you have built those right relationships, networked, and done what you can, controlled what you can control, to get there.
[00:03:41.64] And then once you're there, it's really, OK, I'm going to observe everything. I'm going to be a sponge. I'm going to be so hands-on. I'm going to be an extra set of hands. I'm going to do everything that I can to help this team, this staff, all these departments that go into building a championship culture. I'm going to do what I can to help that.
[00:03:58.05] And so I think in my first year, I really did do that. I kind of just put my head down and worked, just like everybody does with most opportunities. And then after that, it was going into the Super Bowl. That is when Ted was, like, hey, we want to bring you on full-time. What do you think?
[00:04:15.70] And I was, like, I am so honored. I'm so excited. But it was really just that first year of coming in and getting to work, and getting to know everybody, building relationships with everybody in the building, and going from there.
[00:04:28.74] Yeah. As if the Super Bowl's not good enough, hey, here's a full-time job. What do you think? Pretty good situation for you. That's really cool.
[00:04:38.53] And professional football-- you made the switch from Olympic sport. You worked at the college level. I saw you had an internship in the NFL and sort of bounced around the field, like a lot of us do. Was it your goal to work in the NFL?
[00:04:54.57] Yes. And I didn't think this goal was going to happen so quickly. I'll be completely honest with that. I knew I wanted to get back into football. My dad has coached football my whole life at the collegiate level, and so that is really what my first goal was.
[00:05:07.33] I was, like, OK, every stop that I make, how am I able to grow? How am I able to grow as a coach, as a person, with all the technology that's out nowadays? How am I able to just absorb it all and get to where I want to go? And that is working in football, just because I've grown up in this environment.
[00:05:26.32] And I love it. I'm so passionate about it. I would eat, sleep, breathe football from a week that I was born. After I was born, I was at the games. And so football has been my whole life. And it's been so cool growing up as a coach's kid, being on that side of the thing, as a supporting member of a football team or a university. And then as I got old enough and started interning, the first time I interned with football was actually with my dad.
[00:05:49.77] And so I was able to work alongside, which was so awesome, and have a helping hand in helping the guys grow. And now I'm on this side completely, and where I'm a full-time coach and not just an intern. And it's just been incredible, just the different phases that you're able to see of just being a part of an organization or a university in the football world.
[00:06:10.61] In the last few years, the NSCA has added a Football Special Interest Group. Kind of funny that you'd think we would have had this all along. But part of our connection with the NFL and all the professional football strength and conditioning coaches, we knew this was important, and took the steps to go through that to get a special interest group approved.
[00:06:32.61] And one of the voices coming out of that is just the number of strength coaches that come out of the sport of football. And I think back to playing college football, where you really have so many different types of athletes and body types on a football team, yeah, but then you also have that experience of being a coach's kid, and really knowing the X's and O's of growing up around that. Do you feel like, at the highest level, at the NFL, knowing the game at a higher level helps you as a strength and conditioning coach?
[00:07:10.32] Yeah, I think it does, just from the simple term of, I am able to speak that language and catch on pretty fairly quickly. I'm not walking in and I'm not super green walking into the environment, because I just have lived that. I used to watch film with my dad, and we would go over. I'd watch so many games. I've seen so many reps.
[00:07:26.38] And so that's definitely helped, in terms of an understanding standpoint. And then just saying, hey, how can we reverse engineer this? And build back up to get to where you need to go performance-wise. How do we start that in the weight room and transition that onto the field? That's been such an insurmountable amount of help.
[00:07:43.53] We know NFL players are phenomenal athletes. We see that in the Combine. We see that on the field. It's amazing what they can do. But when you work at the professional level, you realize that these players are, in a lot of ways, regular human beings.
[00:08:01.24] They have families. They have lives. They have things they're good at, things they're not good at. It's sort of a different melting pot. Every level you go, there's the best player and the player that's fighting to make the team or fighting to get a starting position. As a strength and conditioning coach, when players come in, maybe out of the draft, or they're new to your program, what are some of the key messages that your strength and conditioning staff has about how to prepare for that highest level of football?
[00:08:35.13] Absolutely. I think from the top down, it's so important to realize the fact-- and everybody does here, such a great job-- that the development aspect never goes away. And so while you take an athlete from a very young age, and learning how to move, and you're learning all the different specifics when it comes to their sports, and then you get into-- that would be, like, high school-level, as they started to specialize in their sport.
[00:09:00.98] And then you get to the collegiate level, and it's like, OK, development. We need to make you stronger, faster, all of that. It's, like, OK, great. I need to teach you how to-- time management in that college. And there's so much more variables that go into when you're a collegiate athlete. And then when you're a professional athlete and you're on the other side of things, it's, like, OK, this is like almost like my 9:00 to 5:00. It's more hours than a 9:00 to a 5:00.
[00:09:20.92] But it's, really, like, OK, this is my job. I can spend all of my energy here. Yes, I do have a family. Yes, I do have other hobbies.
[00:09:28.75] But for the most part, it's really, like, OK, the development is never going to go away. So how are we going to help you perform on the field and be successful? How are we going to help you emotionally, spiritually, just professionally, in any capacity?
[00:09:43.76] There's so many different departments that go on to just-- now, this is my full-time job, but how can I take this? Because at some point, a sport does come to an end. And so it's, like, how can we develop them to be able to do what they love, and then also exceed after the fact?
[00:09:58.98] Are you seeing more specialties among strength coaches at the NFL? Meaning-- you have five or six strength and conditioning coaches on your staff. Do each of you bring unique skills and abilities-- maybe speed versus Olympic lifting, versus what's going on just on the day-to-day or the conditioning side of thing out on the field-- do you guys break it up like that? Or is it more, everybody, all hands on deck?
[00:10:28.20] Everybody is really all hands on deck. And I really love that aspect of it. We do specialize. We'll have things that the guys can come to us to-- like, say, for yoga. And then one of my co-workers, Eddie, he does like all the speed. And then we have soft tissue stuff. We have kind of those specializations, but all of us know enough across the board that it's, like, hey, you can come to any of us.
[00:10:51.72] And we love operating like that. I think Fernando does like a great job with breaking it up and making sure that we're getting in front of all the guys, and we're able to build relationships with not just the positions that we are over, and that we kind of report on a weekly basis, but the whole entire team. And so I think that's awesome. I think the fact that we're able to be more collaborative, and say, hey, we can know a little bit about everything. And then if there's certain things that we need and somebody does better, we're, like, hey, go and talk to so-and-so, go and talk to so-and-so. But it's very fluid in how we organize that, for sure.
[00:11:27.31] Yeah, That's really interesting. And finding that balance as a staff-- having continuity of your staff from year-to-year is really valuable, and just realizing what different skills and abilities people have, knowing that, hey, this athlete's not connecting with me as much, but might be really great with you, and you can navigate those things.
[00:11:49.13] It's really because you work so-- I mean, everyone in this field, we have long hours, right? We're always with our teams and athletes. We have a lot of time to decode those situations, those coach-athlete relationships. One thing I saw on your bio, Autumn, was that you don't have an exercise science degree. You actually have a criminal justice degree, and I believe your master's was psychology. Right?
[00:12:18.85] Yes. Psychology and sports management.
[00:12:21.25] So a little bit connected to sports, but different than a lot of members of our profession. Not the typical path to the CSCS. What was that for you? Were you considering other careers, and then just pivoted into strength and conditioning, or--
[00:12:38.25] Yes.
[00:12:38.69] Yeah, what was that?
[00:12:40.06] Yeah. So in my undergrad, I did graduate with criminal justice. I wanted to be a special agent with the ATF-- the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. And so I graduated early so that I was able to start training for basic camp. I interned with the ATF Bureau out in Tucson my last year and the Tucson Police Department. But I really wanted to be a behavior analyst of just why people do what they do, so that psychology side of things.
[00:13:09.38] And that was kind of my first what I wanted to do, honestly. And I was, like, OK-- so, like, Criminal Minds, almost. That's what I always compare it to, because people are, like, what is a behavior analyst? But, like, the Phoebe of Criminal Minds-- I wanted to be that out in the real world.
[00:13:25.21] And so it was super interesting. I would talk with all the agents that were at the Tucson Bureau. And I loved learning, and I loved the psychology aspect of going through and seeing, OK, like, this is what we deal with on a real-life basis, out in our world. And so as I was getting ready and training-- I had graduated. I was training. I was studying for my entrance exam.
[00:13:45.61] I started to get kind of, like, a pit in my stomach-- like, oh, my gosh, I don't think I want to do this. And I don't know what the light bulb was, or what the switch that flipped on. I was just, like, oh, gosh. OK. I am starting to get a little bit of anxiety about this. I don't know if this is really what I want to do for the rest of my life.
[00:14:00.89] And so I kind of had a light bulb moment. I was really coached with my strength coach in college, Jim Krumholz. He's one of my best mentor. And I would babysit his kids when I played, and all that stuff. And one of my teammates, Julia Glantz, I played soccer with her-- she had interned in our weight room then her last semester.
[00:14:20.84] And so I kind of had a lighbulb moment. And I was, like, Dad, football coach. I loved the weight room when I played. And then I kind of, like, narrowed it, and I was like, OK, strength coach. And so that kind of came in to my thought, and I reached out to Jim. And I was, like, hey, Jim, I think I want to be a strength coach.
[00:14:35.65] I'd been working. I tried to stay active in between graduating and prepping for taking my entrance exam, which would have been in 2017-- or excuse me, 2016. And so I worked at LA Fitness and stayed in the fitness realm of things of personal training. And I knew I didn't want to stay in the general population side of things. I wanted to be more surrounded by a team.
[00:14:58.85] And so when I called Jim and said, hey, I'm thinking about this. Like, what do you think? He calls me by my first ever email, AudreyLock39. And he was like, AudreyLock39. He was, like, come back to Tucson. Come. I have a spot open, and let's get rocking and rolling.
[00:15:13.72] And so I really packed up everything after-- actually, let me go back a little bit. I'd taken my entrance exam. And said, OK, if I pass, I'm going to basic. If I don't, then I got to figure out what's next. And that is kind of how it turned into me becoming a strength coach, going back to my alma mater, starting there, and then the start of my journey to get here.
[00:15:35.13] There was a pivot in there, but I love the enthusiasm of how you explained your path. And I can tell, just from how you explained it, you were all in on that. You know, you were going to school. You knew where you wanted to end up. You took all the steps to get there.
[00:15:53.65] And that's something that as strength and conditioning coaches, we know this is a tough field to break into. So maybe, in a way, even though it was an untraditional path, you were really well prepared to break down some barriers on the way in and find some coaching opportunities and move into the college ranks up through the NFL. I think that's really cool to hear.
[00:16:17.28] There's a lot of different backgrounds in strength and conditioning. And our ability to connect with players and athletes really relies on our ability to relate across a lot of different areas. And so I do want to ask you-- I've seen you speaking on some different forums and podcasts.
[00:16:37.13] This is a topic you're really passionate about. And it's women leading the way in the NFL, and really beyond-- breaking into the field of strength and conditioning. I've enjoyed hearing you speak about that. What advice do you have for women who are interested in pursuing strength and conditioning and following in your path?
[00:17:00.62] Yeah. I would say, honestly. what really kind of ricocheted me or helped me into this path was having just a great group of mentors, and then having people around you that supported you and were, like, hey, go for it. Absolutely go for it.
[00:17:14.90] I remember Gena Reddy. I still have the note that she wrote me, and I talked to her-- I was at a basketball symposium, and that was out in Vegas. And I had told her then-- I was working with basketball at the time, and I was, like, I do want to eventually get into football. I love this.
[00:17:28.11] And she was, like, girl, go for it. Absolutely go for it. I am so proud. Like, don't ever shy away from applying to the opportunity. Apply to all the jobs. And really, having that belief and that support really kind of helped, and then just building that village around you from your family, from the coworkers that you do work with, with your mentors, those are really the people that I leaned on throughout my whole entire career.
[00:17:51.14] And so making sure that you're picking those people and you're sticking with them, and knowing that there are going to be some hardships along the way, as there are for everyone. But staying true to that-- I think that's huge, and staying true to yourself throughout that whole process. That's huge, too.
[00:18:06.15] So really, building a network would be huge-- or, excuse me, building a village. And then networking is going to be the biggest thing. And that's what I tell every young coach that I ever talk to-- networking. Relationships make the world go round, and you just never know where people end up. The strength and conditioning world is so fluid. And so just building those relationships are really going to take you to where you want to go.
[00:18:35.16] Yeah. Big messages-- find a mentor, or multiple mentors. Build your network.
[00:18:40.48] Yes, and your village.
[00:18:41.82] Your village. Your army. Whatever it is.
[00:18:44.52] Yes.
[00:18:45.24] I think this is important to really to ask all coaches breaking into our profession, but especially for you, working in the NFL and just navigating a lot of hurdles and obstacles. Have you felt supported by the profession along your path, making that switch from criminal justice track, and then you dive in head-first to this field, your mentorship network. And do you feel like you have had the resources to thrive?
[00:19:20.40] Yes, absolutely. I definitely have. Because If I know if I didn't, I don't know if I would still be here. You know what I mean? I think it's so important to, like, lean on those resources that you do have. And if you're having a bad day, or-- there was a point I had a really hard transition from my ETSU to University of Houston, just, like, timing-wise, and just kind of, like, next step in my career. And I had that really hard time with that transition.
[00:19:45.03] And I was, like, oh, my gosh, am I meant to be a strength coach? Like, I don't know. And I really leaned on everybody around me, and they helped so, so much. I remember I would literally be-- and I've shared this plenty of times-- but just, like, a vulnerable moment of, OK, I would be crying before a coaching session. I'd wipe my tears, I would go out, and coach my butt off, and then immediately after, just start crying.
[00:20:09.06] And I had no idea where it was coming from-- just, like, anxiety-wise, or whatever the transition was. But I think it really rooted me in saying, hey, you have to take care of yourself as a coach, as well. And so whatever it was through the transition that kind of brought on the anxiety, then talk through that, ask questions, and rely on that support system. And that's really what got me through, and then got me back to, OK, I can do this. I love doing this. I love building relationships with the athletes, with the coaches.
[00:20:38.72] And it kind of helped me get back on path and just continue to grow. But there definitely are ups and downs that come with this field. And it's all about how you take care of yourself and how you're able to navigate those personally, and then go from there.
[00:20:54.35] Yeah, that really connected with me-- you know, that transition around getting your education, really, into the field, or maybe being in some of the harder coaching positions that I've had. This field can hit you pretty hard. You can be really doing well professionally in one area, and maybe just missing a huge chunk of what you need in another area of your life. Maybe you're too far from your family. Maybe you're not feeling supported in a role, whatever it may be.
[00:21:27.93] I think this is a really strong point that we hear a lot at the NSCA. You know, I love my role at the NSCA, because I'm one phone call away for a lot of coaches, and my phone is always ringing. So it's one where people call when they need an ear to chew on. It's, like, hey, I know we're working hard to make our salaries better, or make the profession more recognized. But this is just really eating away at me.
[00:21:55.06] Is there something we can do, or a resource we have that takes us forward? And sometimes, it's tough, because you hear that, and you're, like-- you want to help. And sometimes, the answer is, all right. I may not have that answer right now, but what can I do so that I don't get 10 more of these phone calls, or in 10 years, I'm not getting any of these phone calls?
[00:22:17.71] So to put you on the spot-- areas, we can improve the profession. Speaking specifically from the NSCA, you know the role of the NSCA. You're certified with us, pursued our credentials. Where would you like to see our field go, and how can we support the field better from the NSCA?
[00:22:36.82] Yeah, absolutely. I think just any way that we're able to go about collaborating, that's going to be the best thing. So building those conferences to where everybody is invited and everybody kind of gets on those same page, and then navigating just the stressors that come with working this job. I think we kind of talked to that. We talk on that, but we also kind of shy away from it, because sometimes, it's tough, uncomfortable conversations.
[00:23:00.53] And so I think in building that environment where, yes, we're able to talk X and O's, but then, hey, how can we talk about what we're doing in life? We need to talk about, like, OK, yes, being away from our families is tough. These long hours are tough. Traveling all the time are tough. How can we take care of ourselves so that we're able to perform at our best and pour from a full cup?
[00:23:22.26] And, like, sometimes, that sounds cliche, but it's so important to be able to take care of ourselves. And I think we're so embedded in, OK, we have to grind. We have to grind. They are long hours. It just is what it is.
[00:23:32.94] And I think whatever way that we can build that collaborative and just, OK, take care of yourself so we can take care of others kind of mindset, and slowly start to turn that narrative, I think it would just provide a sense of peace to a lot of coaches. And I know it might be a long way off, but I think if more people just start talking about it and are honest with how they are feeling, it something super magical can come from just having those kind of uncomfortable conversations.
[00:24:00.44] Yeah. I think we, we have these sessions at conferences sometimes, and it's something where a conference is going to have educational content that's related to our scope of practice, that is something you're going to do with the athlete, but that-- people who listen to the podcast know, I hammer this point home quite often-- that's why we love virtual events, and we've really thrived through COVID as a field, having so many virtual options. Even this podcast now, just doing this virtually.
[00:24:32.07] It never used to be that way, but the value of face-to-face communication and getting people together, and even facial expressions and body language, and just connecting on a different level-- and maybe a more personal level that we definitely don't talk about a ton in strength and conditioning, of our communication skills and our ability to peel back the onion. But this is something that we do with our players, our athletes, when they're having a hard time.
[00:25:08.61] Yes. Absolutely.
[00:25:09.41] And we can do that on our staffs, for each other, in the field. I like to think of the NSCA as my professional community. It's a global community, but when I joined the field, I was just a college kid in upstate New York. And I found the NSCA membership, and it opened a lot of doors for me. So I know what it can do for a lot of people.
[00:25:34.58] And so that's really our mission, to do that. But I also know there's people that don't share that same experience or same passion, or maybe had different mentorship along the way. And just being welcoming. And you said that.
[00:25:50.30] Absolutely.
[00:25:50.54] Invite everybody. Include everybody in different sessions. Maybe have some different types of content that reaches a different audience, or connects on a different level. That's one thing I really enjoy about going to-- so I work with the Professional Football Group, Professional Baseball, Professional Hockey, NBA. And really, any group that exists within our field under the scope of advocacy for strength and conditioning, I try to be there. I think it's really important that the NSCA has a seat at those tables.
[00:26:27.54] But the one thing I hear is we all share a passion for our profession. We all work long hours. But the day-to-day experience, other than those things-- there are some really different, unique, and tangible areas of these sports.
[00:26:43.79] And our field's a lot different than when the NSCA began. You know, it was just college football strength coaches. And really embracing that diversity of thought, that diversity of who we are, you know?
[00:26:58.17] Yeah, absolutely. And defining that.
[00:27:01.88] It's an exciting time for the field, taking us forward. So I'm really happy you share that, and you share it with such enthusiasm. I know we got to talking at the event, and it really paved the way for this podcast, and the things we're talking about on here.
[00:27:20.00] I like the advice for the NSCA. I think that's important. And to our listeners, it's important that you have a voice in what we do at headquarters, on our committees, volunteer opportunities-- there are so many areas you can get involved with the NSCA.
[00:27:36.71] And just because it may present as a volunteer-type opportunity, that doesn't mean that you won't be compensated in the return that you get for it. That connection, that networking-- it'll open a lot of doors for you. And so we, we encourage everyone to get involved here.
[00:27:58.31] Autumn, I think your experience is really cool. I think your passion for the field is really cool. I think it's awesome you came from criminal justice and just had a different path in the field. And you're someone we definitely want to have at the NSCA, at a conference in the future, hopefully presenting, speaking. I know you have a really busy NFL season and off-season.
[00:28:24.54] Yes.
[00:28:25.11] And I want to ask you about that. A lot of coaches who maybe haven't worked at that level, they know when the Super Bowl is, or they know when the season training camp is starting. But take us through what the calendar looks like. How much access do you have to players during the year? What does the off-season look like?
[00:28:46.56] Yeah, absolutely. So if we take it right from the end of the Super Bowl-- end of the Super Bowl, typically, there's a week or two where, just, all of the exit meetings and all that stuff kind of happens, just like it would at the end of a semester collegiately, or end of a school year in high school. And then from there the guys are kind of on their own, unless they stay locally. And so we kind of get an idea of where all the guys are going to be training at, if they need anything.
[00:29:12.99] But we really kind of encourage them to go home. A lot of them have homes. They go back to where they're from. And they're able to just spend time with the family, kind of get away, get a breath of fresh air, and kind of reset and recharge for the next season coming up.
[00:29:28.89] And so a lot of guys-- it depends on where you are, obviously, and I'm learning this on a year-to-year basis-- but a lot of guys tend to go to the nice weather states, where there's sunshine all the time, which I do not blame them at all. I wish I could be in a sunshine state 24/7. But from the end of the Super Bowl-- so the second week of February, depending on where it falls-- and then until about the middle of April, so anywhere from two months, a month and a half-ish, depending on that, the guys are kind of off on their own.
[00:30:05.55] And then they'll come back and forth. Sometimes they'll go on trips, and then they come back, and they're, like, hey, I want to be here and train for a week. And so they'll come back for a week. We have programs for them this whole entire time, so they're able to access it on their phones. And whatever they need from us, We're there for them during this period.
[00:30:23.85] But then we'll start up in April. So either the first, second, or third week of April, OTAs will start. And so that, depending on how long we go, it's either anywhere from 8 to 10 weeks that we're allowed with them. And so we kind of just pick a day, depending on new coaches that we have come in and just kind of what the head guy wants to do, and map that out each year, because each year looks a little bit different, with the different teams that you have.
[00:30:49.41] And so we'll have eight weeks with them for OTAs. And that's kind of the same in terms of, OK, we only have a certain amount of hours with them, and on certain days. And we have to progress in. And so just for safety for the guys and all that stuff, we still follow those guidelines. And then after OTAs end, we'll have about another six-week chunk off.
[00:31:10.47] And so we're kind of rotating in here at the staff in the weight room, for guys who are staying local. And so somebody's always in the weight room for the guys, which is awesome. But we have a big enough staff where we're not all in 24/7. We're able to rotate and take the time off, too.
[00:31:28.23] And then once training camp starts, that'll be end of July. And once training camp starts, we are from July, hopefully, all the way until February again. And so the end season, that July all the way through August when training camp starts-- those are probably our longest hours, just that bulk of time, just kind of refining everything that we installed in the off-season, and all that. And then we're rocking and rolling from there.
[00:31:53.83] You kind get into a groove, as you know, when you get into a season with a team. And so just depending on when your game falls, you have your template that you follow, and then you're just trying to use all those habits, those good habits that you built, and help that carry you through the season. And then it kind of restarts all the way again.
[00:32:12.01] Yeah. It really never ends. And that's one thing-- maybe a misconception with pro sports, or sports in general, is, like, all right. We know when the games are. Well, what do you do all day, up to the game? Or what do you do the other months of the year? These are very intense, full-time jobs, and there's a lot of planning, even when the players aren't there.
[00:32:35.12] Right.
[00:32:35.35] The staff is there. You're planning. You're putting new technology in. There's meetings. There's meetings with front office. There's a lot of conversations that go on during the off-season to pave the way for training camp, to pave the way for even individual player conversations and needs-- injury, rehab, all the different areas.
[00:32:59.36] And that's one of the things I love about professional sports and talking to coaches who are there. You're just so in it, every single day, in one sport. And you have all the different areas, positions, and it's such a deep dive on each position group, different areas, the KPIs, the metrics.
[00:33:29.03] Last thing I want to ask you for today is, we've seen a lot of growth of sports science, technology, different information that we're basing our training decisions on. What's that experience been like for you, breaking into the field, really, at that time when technology is a need for coaches? What kind of KPIs do you use?
[00:33:56.42] So I would say our head guy, Nando Noriega, he is phenomenal. He's such a whiz with the sports science thing. But really, how we use it is, OK, we're able to track what the guys are doing in the weight room on a weekly basis, and that'll kind of split by position, and all that.
[00:34:12.66] So what they're doing gym-wise, what they're doing Keiser power squat-wise, countermovement jumps on the force plates, all of that good stuff. And then from there, we're building out what they're doing, OK, the type of load they're getting in the weight room. And then the GPS-- we don't use GPS, per se, but kind of radio frequency through Zebra through the guys' pads.
[00:34:33.84] And that will give us their max speeds, their jog yards, their sprint yards, their max distance, all of that good stuff. And so we're just using that in order to create those individual profiles and make sure individually the guys are getting enough work, positionally the guys are getting enough work, or if they're doing too much, and kind of using that to help us assess, create those profiles for what a screenshot would look like for the whole team, down to position, down to individually, and then back out again, and making sure everybody's kind of developing in the same rate that is best for them.
[00:35:06.43] And then just whatever, kind of practice-wise. We're going to program practice out the way we need it to look like so the guys aren't getting too much of a load, and really just with the safety and performance-thinking way that's going to be best for the guys. And there's so many different ways you can go about that. And it's going to change year-to-year, with the type of guys that you have, if you have a young team versus a veteran team. But with those kind of KPIs and that template, we're able to just, as I said so many times, just be fluid with how we approach and keep these guys ready to play and go.
[00:35:41.18] That's awesome. Tons of great information on this podcast. Autumn, thank you so much for being with us. What's the best way for our listeners who want to reach out, continue the conversation, for them to do that?
[00:35:53.12] Yeah, I would say either my email, which is alockwood@eagles.nfl.com, or LinkedIn, or even Instagram. I'm kind of I'm pretty active on there, and I try to get back to everyone. And so I think those would be the best three, and then kind of go from there.
[00:36:12.35] Perfect. We'll add those into the show notes for our listeners. We appreciate everyone tuning in today. Hopefully, you took away a lot of great nuggets from Autumn. And if you want to reach out, she's a wealth of information, and just has so much energy and passion for the field. So we are thankful that she is with us in the strength and conditioning profession.
[00:36:37.07] Awesome. Thank you so much, Eric. It was such a pleasure to talk with you today.
[00:36:41.01] And also, a special thanks to Sorinex Exercise Equipment. We appreciate their support as a sponsor on this podcast.
[00:36:48.81] Hi, I'm Ian Jeffries, the NSCA president. You've just listened to an episode of The NSCA Coaching Podcast. Hopefully, it's generated some interest in strength and conditioning and the NSCA. If it has, get involved. Go on to the NSCA website, see what opportunities are available. And I hope to see you at one of our events, where you can be the next leadership generation of the NSCA.
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