Lifetime Achievement Award
Rusty Jones
NFL Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year
Joe Kenn
Carolina Panthers
The Champions Award
Luke Richesson
Denver Broncos
Rusty Jones is considered a pioneer by many in the Strength and Conditioning world. When Rusty began his NFL career of 28 years as the Strength and Conditioning coach for the Buffalo Bills, the NFL was radically different than it is today. He was the first NFL Strength and Conditioning coach to individualize workout and nutrition programs as well as monitor a player’s nutrition and hydration status. During his time with the Bills, Rusty helped to lead them to four consecutive Super Bowl appearances in the early 1990’s. In 2005, Rusty brought his expertise to the Chicago Bears organization where he reversed the Bears ranking of 31st in the NFL for fewest missed games by starters to 9th. In his career he has reached the Super Bowl five times as well as worked with 43 Pro Bowlers and seven Pro Football Hall of Famers. Rusty was recognized by his peers as the NFL Strength Coach of the Year in 2006.
Joe Kenn has been instrumental in the success of the Panthers since he came aboard in 2011, as well as every stop he has made over his 25+ years. Known as "House" to his players, Joe employs a variety of methods in his program such as strength training, explosive development, high intensity interval training, performance-based nutrition and holistic approaches. Kenn graduated from Wake Forest University, where he was a two-year starter at guard, in 1988 with a Bachelor's Degree in Health and Sport Science. Kenn entered coaching at Pinecrest Preparatory School in Fort Lauderdale, FL, from 1989-90 as strength coach in addition to tutoring the offensive and defensive lines. His college coaching career began in 1991 with Boise State and spanned almost 20 years with the Broncos (1991-1998) and three other colleges: Utah (1999-2000) Arizona State (2001-2007) and Louisville (20082009). During his time at the collegiate level, Joe took home numerous honors including the NSCA Big West Conference Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year in 1998, the NSCA Mountain West Conference Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year in 2000 and the NSCA Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year award in 2002. In 2013, Kenn earned the first-ever Professional Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year award from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) as a member of the Panthers.
From helping Peyton Manning recover from his neck surgeries to getting the Broncos physically primed for the Super Bowl, Luke Richesson has been a driving force behind the Denver Broncos success since he came on board back in 2012 as their Strength and Conditioning Coach. Richesson began his career at his alma mater, the University of Kansas, in 1997 after playing four years of safety and graduating with a Bachelors Degree in Exercise Science. He went on to spend time on the coaching staffs of Wyoming (1998) and Arizona State University (1999-2000). Luke left the college ranks in 2001 and moved on to Athletes’ Performance in Tempe, Arizona. From 2001-08, he implemented programs to help elite college football prospects prepare for the NFL Combine as well as assisting NFL veterans in their training during the offseason. In 2009, he moved on to the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he served as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for three seasons (2009-11).