Four members of the Saint Patrick Football coaching staff traveled to Deerfield to meet with the Chicago Bears’ Strength and Conditioning Coach, Rusty Jones, last week. Head Coach Dan Galante, along with assistant coaches Tom Soprych, Ray DeFrisco, and Jason Ellerman visited Halas Hall, where they met with Jones to discuss the strength and conditioning program that the Saint Patrick football program is using. Following their meeting, the coaches were given a tour of the Bears’ facilities. Galante found the visit to be educational, “you need to keep learning from the best. If you find one piece of knowledge that helps your program, it is worth it.”

Before joining the Bears last February, Jones spent 20 seasons working for the Buffalo Bills as their Strength and Conditioning Coordinator. During his tenure in Buffalo, Jones worked under six head coaches including Hall of Famer Marv Levy and worked with over 25 different Pro Bowlers including Hall of Famers Jim Kelly and James Lofton. The Bills qualified for the playoffs in 10 of Jones' 20 seasons with the team, including four consecutive Super Bowl appearances. Recognized around the NFL as one of the finest strength, conditioning and nutrition experts in the business, Jones was instrumental in creating a nutritional program specifically designed for each Bills player to maximize performance and to maintain year-round health. Jones gained league-wide notoriety for getting Buffalo's players in top physical condition while the Bills enjoyed success running the "no-huddle" offense in the early 1990's.