Pro Prep Performance Features Help For Local Athletes
MADISON- Today more than any other time in history, most young athletes need some type of mentoring and one-on-one training, which in many ways will prepare each athlete for what will come their way as they continue the quest of for excellence.
Three former players of professional football are making headway in the area of mentoring young athletes in more than just the Xs and Os and are doing so in Madison. The new company founded earlier this year is called Pro Prep Performance (P3) and is headed up by Jerraud Powers, Juwan Simpson and Rashad Johnson. Both Powers and Johnson played in the National Football League while Simpson suited up for eight years in the Canadian Football League.
Simpson, who played at Decatur’s Austin High, and Johnson, who played out of Sulligent, Ala., both played college football at Alabama. Powers, who attended Decatur High, played for the Tigers of Auburn University. All three now call Madison home and are striving to be the vehicle young athletes need to help each of them receive the necessary mental and physical training needed to make it to the next level of competition no matter what the sport.
“The three of us all have different and unique stories of how we made it to the professional level of athletics and we have this vision on how to help others achieve their goals,” said Simpson, 34. “Each young athlete is different in their needs and many of them will be the first in their family to become a college athlete. We offer a total package of what it takes as our programs taps into each of our backgrounds.”
Powers played 100 games as a defensive back in the NFL with the Colts, Cardinals and Ravens before retiring in 2017. He said the he and his two longtime friends got the idea of the P3 from their college football experiences and want to help others understand what it will take to make the jump to a higher level of athlete. He added, “We want to get the youngsters into our mentor program that includes knowledge of athletics on and off the field. The athletes must have good grades, stay out of trouble and remain a model student. We also have services in the general area for non-athletes.”
The P3 program is here to stay as Powers indicated they have plans to build their own new facility from the ground up and have option on some land in Madison. Once the final plans are completed the new facility could be up and running in as little as two years.
Johnson was a walk-on at Alabama before being tabbed a first-team All-American his senior season. He was drafted in the third round by the Arizona Cardinals as a safety in the 2009 NFL Draft. He finished his NFL career in 2016 as a member of the Tennessee Titans.
At Alabama after earning a scholarship, Johnson was twice elected by teammates as a permanent team captain and is among only eight players to achieve that accomplishment in the history of the Crimson Tide. His leadership qualities have extended beyond football as he is constantly called upon to present leadership and motivational speeches to an array of organizations willing to hear of his experiences.
Johnson will have a limited role with P3 as he recently was hired to an off-field position with the Crimson Tide staff and has also been tabbed as a sideline reporter for the program’s Gameday radio program.
Each of the P3 professionals have families and understand Madison is a bustling children-friendly community, which is one of the reasons each chose to solidify their presence here with their sights set on making P3 a vibrant part of the business in Madison.Simpson was an undrafted free agent before signing with the NFL’s Green Bay Packers in 2007 before being called to join the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL. He played eight years in the Great White North winning two Grey Cups and was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year and an All-Star selection as a linebacker. He currently teaches Physical Education at Liberty Middle School and is an assistant coach on the staff at James Clemens High.
“We teach any athlete in any sport and our mentorship program is a major factor for these youngsters as we surround ourselves with other great people we can call on should we need help in a specialized area requested by the athlete’s family,” said Simpson. “If I can’t help I can call those who can. We want to be a one-stop-shop type of facility.”Knowledge of the game is more than just playing. The three retired professional athletes understand each young athlete needs the proper training in their competitive sport, but also know from personal experience the youngsters need personal love and attention. Their elite football pedigree allows P3 clients to be trained not only in their sport, but areas of life beyond the confines of their field or court through mentorship and leadership development.
For Powers, he was raised by his mother and had three sisters around him constantly. He knows his college and professional experiences wouldn’t last, but led him into his current life. He added, “At P3, we want what we do now and one day in our facility be a place all athletes can call home.”
For additional information on the services P3 offers or to get in touch with the three former pro athletes, visit the P3 website at www.proprepperformance.com.
