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Our story demonstrates commitment, experience and determination that distinguish us among our competitors.
When Jesse retired from the NFL, he was naïve to how much high school football has changed since his time. His experience was that if you are a good enough ball player, the scouts will find you and that it did not matter who you played for.
His oldest son, Luke and second son, London, both
attended a small high school which was not the most visible football program in Orange County.
Luke was selected All League twice and his high school won their league during his years; but no Division 1 or 2 schools bothered calling.
London's situation was even worse. A little huskier than Luke, London was chosen Lineman of the Year in the league, but his team won only two games and was not considered as top competition.
While attending Orange Coast College, Luke and London started training with their Dad and All Pro, Doug Smith. The professional training the boys were receiving and their determination paid off big time.
In 2006, Luke was selected All Conference
at Orange Coast College. At 5'11", Luke received two football
scholarship offers, and he chose the University of Central Oklahoma over
Delaware State. Just this past season, Luke was elected Offensive Lineman
of the Year for the Lonestar Conference despite being the smallest on
the line.
London started at Defensive Tackle as a freshman
then switched to Center in his sophomore year. He was selected All
Conference. London, who stands at 6', weighs 290 lbs, chose the University of Hawaii, his Dad's Alma Mater, over the University of Tennessee and University of
Syracuse. It was obvious to Jesse that he had to enroll his youngest son, Roman, in a program that plays top notch competition.
In 2006, Roman attended Edison High School as a freshman. During Roman's sophomore year, Head Coach Dave White asked Jesse to help coach the Offensive Line. Jesse coached both the Offensive and Defensive Lines at Edison High School until 2010. It was during this time that he also learned about combines held by rivals and ESPNU and Cal Preps that Roman needed to attend to receive more exposure and obtain a rating.
Jesse specialized Roman's training to succeed in these events. This was an advantage that Luke and London never experienced. At the combines, Roman excelled and was at the top 10 percent in the agility and strength drills. The most popular drill for lineman at these events is the one-on-one pass pro/pass rush drills. The drill always draws a large crowd, and this is where Roman and a few others separated themselves from the field. As a junior, Roman stands at only 6'2" / 245 lbs, but he won every battle against the 6'4" / 315 lbs competitors. The difference is that Roman and a few others came prepared and others were wide-eyed and shocked at getting beat time after time.
Roman received his first offer from Oregon State
University in the Spring of his junior year. The University of Hawaii's offer arrived a week
after. Nick Holt from Washington wanted Roman as a Defensive Lineman.
Jesse also took extra time training others on the Edison
Offensive Line because Roman was the only returning starter as a
senior. The line became Edison's strength, and was ranked as No. 1 in
Orange County all year; No. 1 in California, and No. 1 in the Nation,
before losing the PAC-5 Championship to Servite High School.
Click here to view updated camp
and training schedules.
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