CANTON, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company (“HOFV” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: HOFV, HOFVW), the only resort, entertainment and media company centered around the power of professional football, and the NFL Alumni Association are pleased to share an update on the tremendous success of the inaugural NFL Alumni Academy (the “Academy”), the first-ever development and training program for aspiring professional football players. The Academy, which is based at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium at the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls in Canton, Ohio, has now seen 10 of its participants receive workouts or signed NFL contracts this season after Christian Ringo (New Orleans Saints), O’Shea Dugas (Cincinnati Bengals), Josiah Coatney (San Francisco 49ers) and R.J. Prince (Baltimore Ravens) were called up this month.
The six other Academy participants invited to work out for or signed with NFL teams this season include:
- Evan Adams
- Tavien Feaster
- Stacy Keely
- Trevon McSwain
- Aca’Cedric Ware
- Ethan Westbrooks
Michael Crawford, President and CEO of HOFV, said, “We are pleased to be in a position to offer a world-class facility to athletes chosen to attend the Academy, where they can train and develop their games alongside some of the greatest to ever coach and play in the NFL. We look forward to the continued success of this program and the opportunity to expand its recognition across the U.S. through our partnership with Sports Illustrated Studios and future sponsorships with leading brands.”
Since September 2020, participants of the Academy have been working under the tutelage of former NFL personnel and professional trainers to further develop their games. Participants receive hands-on coaching from former Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Mike Tice, Hall of Fame offensive lineman Anthony Munoz, two-time Pro Bowler Jermon Bushrod and legendary performance coach Chip Smith, as well as former NFL coaches and players Steve Smith, Jay Hayes, Chuck Smith, Moe Williams, Jerome Felton, Al Smith and Dean Dalton.
“All 32 NFL teams have accessed the Academy portal to evaluate these free agent players,” said Mr. Dalton, Executive Director of the NFL Alumni Academy, who spent seven seasons coaching offensive lineman and running backs for the Vikings. “NFL personnel departments are starting to recommend certain players and, during these challenging times of COVID protocols, find it a very positive advantage to request private ‘virtual’ workouts of players at the Academy. The feedback that we are getting from the personnel directors within the League has been tremendous as they can evaluate these invited free agents on video gaining a direct perspective on the conditioning level and the improved technique development. They can contact our coaching staff to discuss each player’s intangible value as well. Our Academy is definitely being recognized as the ‘go-to’ personnel source for each NFL team’s need to fill their respective depth charts in-season.”
The goal of the Academy is to prepare its participants for every aspect of the game of football to ensure they have competitive advantages that allow them to get to the next level. The Academy has a tremendous outlet to set these players apart, while keeping NFL franchises current regarding player progress and developments.
About the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company
The Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company (NASDAQ: HOFV, HOFVW) is a resort and entertainment company leveraging the power and popularity of professional football and its legendary players in partnership with the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Headquartered in Canton, Ohio, the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company is the owner of the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls, a multi-use sports, entertainment and media destination centered around the Pro Football Hall of Fame's campus. Additional information on the Company can be found at www.HOFREco.com.
About the NFL Alumni Association
The NFL Alumni Association is a nationwide group of former National Football League players, coaches and other employees whose mission is to serve, assist and inform former players and their families. The association offers a variety of medical, financial and social programs to help members lead healthy, productive and connected lives, as well as community initiatives under the NFL Alumni’s “Caring for Kids” programs. The NFL Alumni Association hosts the NFL Alumni Academy Player Development Program each football season at the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls in Canton, Ohio.
About the NFL Alumni Academy
The NFL Alumni Academy provides a pathway for the top-graded players that were released from NFL training camps to return to the NFL by giving them the opportunity to further develop their skills and realize their potential by training under the tutelage of elite former NFL coaches, players and performance coaches. The Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium at the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls will initially serve as the NFL Alumni Academy’s headquarters and training facility. The Academy will then move to the Center for Performance, which will be located on the Village’s campus and is anticipated to be completed in 2022. The Center for Performance will feature an 80,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art indoor field house and training facility, among other amenities.
About WaV Sports and Entertainment LLC
WaV Sports & Entertainment is a global sports marketing firm that specializes in sports property representation, brand side representation, and the management and production of unique sporting and entertainment events. WaV exclusively represents, manages and operates the NFL Alumni Academy and various other NFL Alumni projects such as their youth educational programming known as Pro Day Experience. Additional information on the Company can be found at www.WaVsports.com
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements made herein are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words and phrases such as “opportunity,” “future,” “will,” “goal,” and “look forward” and other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside the Company’s control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors, among others, that may affect actual results or outcomes include the inability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the business combination; costs related to the business combination; the inability to obtain or maintain the listing of the Company’s shares on Nasdaq; the Company’s ability to manage growth; the Company’s ability to execute its business plan and meet its projections; potential litigation involving the Company; changes in applicable laws or regulations; general economic and market conditions impacting demand for the Company’s products and services, and in particular economic and market conditions in the resort and entertainment industry; the potential adverse effects of the ongoing global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on capital markets, general economic conditions, unemployment and the Company’s liquidity, operations and personnel, as well as those risks and uncertainties discussed from time to time in our reports and other public filings with the SEC. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
