Trainer prepares athletes for Pro Day

WILLIAMSVILLE, NY (WIVB.com) - Dan Marino, Curtis Martin and Russ Grimm are among the many athletes that Buddy Morris has helped develop. Buddy Morris is a coach of physical preparation, training athletes for both the mental and physical components of their chosen sport. Currently he is working with several athletes from the University of Pittsburgh to prepare them for their Pro Day, which is essentially a tryout for the NFL.

"This will be the biggest job interview of their life," Morris said. "I am sure they have tremendous confidence in my ability to prepare them for their job interview."

Morris has worked with many of the athletes during his tenure as the University of Pittsburgh's strength and conditioning coach.

"Buddy is pretty brilliant. He is able to watch an athlete and adapt a workout and give the athlete exactly what they need," explained tight end prospect Hubie Graham.

Morris has experience guiding athletes through this process. Last year he worked with Colgate running back, Nate Eachus, who ultimately signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent.

"I went from a good athlete to a great athlete because of Buddy," said Eachus. "My vertical jump went from a 32 to a 37.5, which is big.
 

Clearly, Morris works on developing the athlete's physical abilities but he also recognizes the need to mentally prepare his athletes for their Pro Day.

"The hardest part is to teach people to relax and not to get so uptight, not to get tense, because you are going to blow your Pro Day," said Morris.

After all, for many of these athletes their Pro Day will be one of the most important days of their lives.

"March 6 is our Pro Day and that's a big day for us. So this is what its all about," said offensive guard prospect Chris Jacobson." This is what you dream about as a little kid.