Lifetime Achievement Award
Clyde Emrich
NFL Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year
Buddy Morris
Arizona Cardinals
The Champions Award
Justin Lovett
Los Angeles Rams
Clyde Emrich became the first full time NFL Strength Coach in the league when the Chicago Bears hired him in 1971 after he consulted for them for 8 years. Prior to joining the Bears’ organization Clyde participated in the 1952 Olympic Games, the 1954 World Championships, the 1955 World Championships, won the gold medal in the 1959 Pan American Games and won 4 national titles. In 1957 he became the first man under 200 pounds to clean and jerk 400 pounds. During his 21 year career as the strength coach with the Bears, Clyde became known as “The Legend” fittingly so for someone who has had such an impact on the development of the strength coaching profession. He continued to work for the Bears until his passing in 2021. He is a member of the USA Strength and Conditioning Coaches Hall of Fame, the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame among others. In 2008 the Bears franchise honored Clyde for all of his hard work and dedication by naming their weight room after him.
Buddy Morris has served 8 seasons as the strength and conditioning coach for the Arizona Cardinals and previously 3 seasons with the Cleveland Browns. In addition to his NFL experience, he served 19 years at the collegiate level. A graduate from the University of Pittsburgh, Buddy began his strength and conditioning career at his alma mater from 1980-89. After working as the wellness director for the Horizon Hospital System in Sharon, PA (1989-97), Morris returned to Pittsburgh from 1997-2001, and then again from 2007-2010. He spent one season at the University of Buffalo. Buddy is an innovator in the profession of strength and conditioning and has helped numerous athletes excel at the highest level of their sport. Despite his years of experience, Buddy prides himself as one who continues to learn to be great at what he does. He earned his degree from Pitt in 1980 after lettering for four years (1977-80) in track and field. Morris is married to Monica and has two daughters, Kara and Claire, and two stepsons, Fred and Troy.
Lovett joined the Rams in 2020 after three seasons as the director of football strength & conditioning for Purdue University. Prior to joining Purdue, he spent three seasons at Western Kentucky, helping the Hilltoppers to back-to-back Conference USA championships (2015 and 2016) and two straight bowl victories (2014 Popeyes Bahamas Bowl and 2015 Miami Beach Bowl). Western Kentucky also produced five NFL Draft picks during Lovett's tenure, highlighted by a school-record-tying three in 2016 which included current Rams tight end Tyler Higbee. Before landing at Western Kentucky, Lovett spent two seasons working with the University of Georgia's football strength and conditioning staff. Former NFL running back Todd Gurley was among the 15 players drafted by NFL teams during Lovett's two seasons working with the Bulldogs. Lovett first broke into the NFL as an intern with the Broncos in 2009, spending three seasons in Denver before returning to the college ranks. Lovett is certified by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified), National Strength and Conditioning Association (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) and National Academy of Sports Medicine (Performance Enhancement Specialist and Corrective Exercise Specialist). He earned a bachelor's degree in exercise and sports science from Colorado State in 2003 and a master's degree in exercise science from California University of Pennsylvania in 2012.