Simply Happy to be a Part of It - Adam Braidwood's Rise in the CFL

I read a great story today from the Edmonton Sun. One of the athletes that I had the pleasure of working with is making the most of his opportunity in the Canadian Football League. Adam Braidwood - a product of the determined efforts and keen eye of Robert Holland, football conditioning guru - is making headlines in Edmonton with his talent, desire and great work ethic. It's nice to have the opportunity to work with athletes with these qualities, as it almost always results in rewards for everyone involved.

You can see the Edmonton Sun article here.

Key quotes from Derek Van Diest's article are those made by head coach, Danny Maciocia. They point to the character of Adam, who gained a starting spot when one of his defensive linemates was thrown out of a game for unsportsmanlike conduct.

"I'm happy with Adam," said Eskimos head coach Danny Maciocia. "He's playing his heart out. And even when he's making mistakes, he's making them at 100 miles per hour."

"Everything he does is correctable," agreed Maciocia. "He's the type of guy that won't make the same mistake twice."

Adam is one of those athletes that take every bit of feedback you give them and translates it into improvements. He is a no nonsense guy who is not looking for short-cuts. He wants to get down and do the dirty work, because he knows that it will only benefit him in the long run. Coach Holland was gracious enough to get me involved with Adam and assist them with speed work in preparation for Adam's combine testing. The experience was definitely a pleasure and gave me the opportunity to be involved in the further development of a talented athlete and great person.

Clearly Adam knows what it takes to move ahead in his sport. Although Adam was passed over in the NFL draft, his latest advances show us that he very well could have made waves in the "League". When he made the move to Edmonton and was going through training camp, he was suprised to find that many of the players he was competing against had already spent time in the NFL. I look forward to watching Adam's evolution in the CFL and see where it takes him. Perhaps the NFL is still in the cards. I suspect that if he does get a shot in the league to the sout, he will make the most of it and suprise more people.

dh

Find more on from the Edmonton Sun on Adam here.