NFL: The Queen’s Gambit-inspired coach who helped develop $1.5 billion worth of talent

Manyweather has now reduced the capacity of the OL Masterminds Summit to 200 in order to make it more personal, and even brought it to the UK in October to help grow the sport across Europe.

The long-term plan is to make it a regular European tour, due to the growth of the sport on the continent.

“Year after year we are seeing kids who are younger but bigger, more physical and more athletic,” says Great Britain Lions men’s player Andrew Watts, who attended the camp in Nottingham.

“In those days, if you were a big kid in your year group, you would go and play rugby. Well, now they have alternative sports they can play too.

“They’re getting an opportunity to come and play American football. We’re seeing kids looking forward to the NFL and seeing the American college system and that’s their goal.”

With players and coaches at an undervalued sports center together for two days, the possibilities Camp Manyweather offers both inside and outside the classroom are extensive.

“There are professional leagues in Europe, but it’s still an amateur sport in the UK,” adds Mike Davies, Great Britain’s under-17s coach, who also works as offensive coordinator for the Coventry Phoenix.

“Some of the connections made here may lead to internship opportunities overseas or opportunities to play overseas as well. The networking aspect of this is huge.”

In addition to his annual conferences and training with NFL veterans including Lane Johnson, Creed Humphrey and 2025 first-round pick Tyler Booker, Manny Weather hopes to make his UK conferences a regular rather than a one-time event.

“It puts the work you do in perspective, and that teams appreciate it,” he says.

“Not every team is openly receptive to collaborating in this way, but there are teams that are, and that’s really cool, and I always make it clear that I’m not going to work with any team, but I’m going to work with you.”