Each year that we get together for OL Masterminds, I think back to the inaugural event in 2018 when we had 27 total people show up to the state of the art Baylor Scott and White Sports Therapy and Research Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.
We first met in a classroom on the second floor of the facility. Duke Manyweather and I set up chairs and did early morning coffee runs prior to everyone showing up. It required us to adapt as we went over that first weekend and do what we could to make the guys comfortable. We even had to move the classroom portion on the last day to the Lincoln Experience Center down the road. I remember working with the staff there to figure out how we would seat everyone and having to help set up video equipment at the last minute so we could watch film.
This year’s Masterminds featured over 200 people in attendance with a heap of sponsors and the entire ground floor of the Baylor Scott and White facility dedicated to the event. Looking back on that first event to see where it is now makes me realize how much the event has grown and how fortunate I am to have been a part of this since its inception. I am truly grateful for my role at Masterminds, the relationships that I have built and for Duke including me in putting it all together each of these past five years.
This year was the fifth annual event and the first time where we had Hall of Famers like Willie Roaf and Steve Hutchinson join us. We also had Hall of Fame-caliber former players join us for the first time in Mark Schlereth and Willie Anderson, plus returning guest Olin Kreutz. The bulk of the crowd consisted of current NFL linemen, along with some of the game’s top offensive line coaches and dozens of high-quality college prospects mixed in. They were all looking to learn more about the position and pick up something to help them prolong and enhance their careers.
This podcast recaps detailed notes that I took from some of the speakers and my observations before having one of those distinguished guests in Olin Kreutz join me to share his main takeaways.
Recapping the 5th Annual OL Masterminds