With the start of the fledgling association's 13-game season Thursday night, the UFL has set out to prove that underserved markets are clamoring for more gridiron action.
Friday, an Ellicott City resident, is doing his part to fill that void as the UFL's director of strength and conditioning. He oversees three trainers while working with the New York Sentinels, who were slated to take on the Florida Tuskers at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla.
The California Redwoods and Las Vegas Locos round out the four teams set to play during the first season.
While Friday's been plenty busy for the past few weeks, he is far from new to this level of training. He spent nine years in the same position with the Baltimore Ravens before being sacked in 2007 along with head coach Brian Billick.
"I like the interaction with the athletes and being able to make an impact on a daily basis," said Friday, 42, about working with pro football players again after his unplanned two-year hiatus. "This work is very satisfying to me."
And though the UFL bills itself as the place "where future stars come to play," there are a lot of well-known players participating as well.
"Forty-eight percent of our players - about 96 out of 200 - have NFL experience, and many plan on returning to the NFL," said Rick Mueller, UFL general manager and a former vice president with the New Orleans Saints. Friday personally works with NFL veterans Simeon Rice and Quinn Gray on the New York team.
"Jeff was chosen to head strength and conditioning for his ability to hire all the right people and put everyone in place," Mueller said. "He's a versatile guy."
But a funny thing happened in the intervening months before the UFL opportunity came along. Friday discovered that he also enjoys training a completely different breed of athlete - the amateur sports and fitness enthusiast, a category that includes youths, teams of all ages and a fitness group for women called the Howard County Housewives.
These are the people he encounters at ProShape Performance, a business he started in September 2008.
When his Ravens career was cut short, the Milwaukee native knew two things for certain: He loved his work, and he and wife, Jennifer, appreciated "the good quality of life" in Howard County.
So he started ProShape as a way to allow the couple to remain in their Terra Maria neighborhood and avoid moving their two children, Hailey and Aidan, out of Manor Woods Elementary School. Now he has two jobs, though the UFL's season is a truncated one and will end with a championship game on the day after Thanksgiving.
"The advantage of running a business is the ability to have a broader impact on the community by reaching a lot of people," said Friday. He offers strength training and conditioning workouts through the Y of Central Maryland at four of its locations, including the Dancel Family Center Y on Montgomery Road.
But whether he's coaching professionals or amateurs, his main goal is the same: to protect the body by preventing injury, while simultaneously enhancing the athlete's performance.
"All coaching is relationship-driven - you have to find out what someone's goals are and how you can help them reach those goals," said the graduate of the University of Wisconsin, noting he currently has about 50 clients.
The key is to tweak a training regimen to suit someone's strengths and limitations, he said, since so many factors play a role in reaching peak performance.
"It's a learning process in the private sector, but the emphasis is still split between physical and mental development," he said. "You'd think that [professional athletes] would be more motivated to train, but that's not always the case. The pros just love to play the game."
Striking a balance between being tough and taking care of his athletes is something Friday does well, said Matt Stover, who spent 13 years as the Ravens' kicker.
"It's his job to get you to listen to him and convince you to take ownership of your training," said the Hunt Valley resident, who became a free agent this year.
"Some athletes don't see the value in training, but it's vital to a productive and durable career," said Stover, 41, who gives Friday credit for helping him lengthen his career.
During the season, football players need "just the right dose" of exercise because they are all dealing with some sort of pain, said Friday.
"Between games, a pro football player is recovering from stress on his system," he said, noting a Tufts University study that showed getting hit on the field by another player carries the same force as being struck by a 2,000-pound car traveling at 5.75 mph.
"And that's where the art of coaching comes in - you have to motivate athletes [to train] in order for them to keep their strength, as they very rarely feel 100 percent," he said.
"I realize now I can have an equal impact on a pro athlete or on a 12-year-old boy," said Friday. "It all comes down to knowing what your purpose is in life." Neighbors Is there a noteworthy person or event in your neighborhood? Contact Neighbors columnist Janene Holzberg at jholzberg76@msn.com or 410-461-4150.
