Jacksonville Jaguars’ running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley and wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell will be joining the training line up for this year’s Jaguars Academy held at London’s Brunel University from 13 – 15 July.
The addition of these prestigious coaches to the three-day residential training camp offers a unique opportunity for American football talent in the UK, to be coached by the best the NFL has to offer. Covering all positions on the field, Wheatley and McCardell will be joining NFL Hall of Fame finalist Tony Boselli, three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Mark Brunell, and Director of Player Development and Youth Football Marcus Pollard, to provide world-class coaching to the participants at the Jaguars Academy.
Jaguars Wide Receivers Coach Keenan McCardell:
“I’m excited to be heading to the UK to be a part of the Jaguars Academy. Despite being new to the Jaguars coaching staff, I’m really eager to see first-hand the growth of NFL in the U.K. so can’t wait to help prospective players and coaches continue to learn even more about the game of American football.”
Jaguars Head Coach Doug Marrone:
“We’re really pleased Coach Wheatley and Coach McCardell are joining our line-up for the Jaguars Academy in the U.K. Their expertise and support will be hugely valuable, to continue to nurture British talent to learn more about the NFL. As we grow our fan base in London, the Academy is a great eye opener into what the Jaguars are all about: hard work, commitment and having fun on the field.”
The Jaguars Academy will be suited to players with at least a year of playing experience and who are ready to learn from the Jaguars staff and show what British talent is all about. Training will take place during the day, while the evenings will be dedicated to film review with the coaches, as every training session will be taped.
Along with the Playing Academy there will also be a one-day coaching clinic for amateur coaches at Brunel University on July 16. The day will be tailored to U.K. and Europe-based American football coaches looking to expand their knowledge and experience with the ultimate goal of encouraging them to return to their respective teams and improve team performance and individual player development.
The Jaguars Playing Academy and Jaguars Coaching Academy are both part of a broader strategy to improve and grow the game of American football in the U.K. To show their commitment, the Jaguars are also putting on a national flag American Football tournament, the Jaguars Se7ens Cup, and a schools programme, JagTag. With these programmes, the Jaguars are aiming to improve the quality and playing knowledge of American Football at the grassroots level.
Running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley
Wheatley played ten NFL seasons after being selected 17th overall by the New York Giants in the 1995 draft. Since retiring from the NFL he has had a distinguished career as a Running Backs coach, and joined the Jacksonville Jaguars coaching staff in January 2017 after two years in the same role at the University of Michigan.
Wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell
McCardell, who also joined the Jaguars staff in 2017, is a two-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time Super Bowl Champion, and spent six seasons with the Jaguars where he earned the nickname ‘Thunder’ as part of the best duo wide receivers in the NFL. Like Wheatley, McCardell is an expert coach, with experience coaching wide receivers at the University of Maryland and the Washington Redskins.
Full coaching line up
OFFENSE
Quarter Back Coach – Mark Brunell
Offensive Line Coach – Tony Boselli
Running Backs Coach – Tyrone Wheatley
Wide Receivers Coach – Keenan McCardell
Tight Ends Coach – Marcus Pollard
DEFENSE
Defensive Line Coach – Keith McKenzie
Defensive Back Coach – Fernando Bryant
Linebackers Coach – TBC
ABOUT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The Jaguars joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1995 and are owned by Shahid Khan, who is also owner of Fulham Football Club.
The club plays their home games at EverBank Field, located near the St. Johns River in downtown Jacksonville. The team headquarters is also located in the stadium. Since their inception in 1995 the Jaguars have won two division championships and have made six playoff appearances.
The Jaguars have agreed to play one home game each year at Wembley Stadium in London, UK until 2020. They first played in 2013 against San Francisco 49ers, followed in 2014 by the Dallas Cowboys. The Jaguars beat the Buffalo Bills 34-31 at Wembley in 2015 and followed that with a 30-27 win over the Indianapolis Colts in 2016. The Jaguars are due to play the Baltimore Ravens for their fifth home game at Wembley in 2017.
For full information and registration forms go to www.jagscampandacademy.com