The QB Summit Tour Lands In Orange County, CA In A Few Weeks

The 2024 QB Summit Tour is coming to Orange County, CA at the end of this month.

Throughout 2024, we’re holding exclusive camps at 8 different cities for quarterbacks ages 10-18.

If you’re looking to reach your potential and separate yourself from the competition, come join us for a transformational weekend with NFL QB Consultants Jordan Palmer and Mike White.

We’ll be in Orange County, CA this February.

In today’s Cover 3:

Today we’re gonna connect some dots between 3 Super Bowl players this weekend:

• Christian McCaffrey

• Patrick Mahomes

• Brandon Aiyuk

• Have you seen The Huddle yet!? 💥💥💥

Connecting The Dots: Christian McCaffrey

We'll start this narrative in 2010 when I was a Cincinnati Bengal, fresh off my inaugural NFL season. Always hungry for new opportunities, I sought ways to expand my horizons beyond football.

The NFL Players Association offered a unique program, the NFL Player Entrepreneurship Program, in partnership with various business schools. This initiative allowed NFL players to attend one of four different business schools for a 1 to 2-week module, with the team reimbursing the cost.

My entrepreneurial spirit led me to dive headfirst into this endeavor.

Not Just Any Partner

My first stop was Harvard Business School, an experience that was both enlightening and eye-opening. The program delved heavily into commercial real estate, an area I discovered wasn't my passion.

However, the connections and experiences I gained were invaluable. During this time, I was paired with a partner for the week, and that partner happened to be none other than Ed McCaffrey.

Now, Ed McCaffrey wasn't just any NFL player. He was a three-time Super Bowl champion and a legendary figure in Denver Broncos history. As a kid, I had idolized Ed and watched the Broncos win those Super Bowls.

So, to be partnered with him was surreal. We collaborated on projects, shared stories about our families, and Ed told me about his son, a talented middle-school running back.

Ed spoke about his son with pride, claiming there were games where his boy didn't even get tackled. As a fellow father, I understood the propensity for parental pride, but a sixth-grader who doesn't get tackled? I took it with a grain of salt.

Fast Forward A Few Years

Fast forward a few years, and I started hearing about this young phenom breaking high school records in Denver. I realized this was the same kid Ed had told me about back at Harvard.

His name was Christian McCaffrey, and he was making waves. He then earned a scholarship to Stanford and continued to shine, leaving no doubt about his football prowess.

Over the years, I've had the privilege of getting to know Christian McCaffrey and rekindling connections with Ed and Lisa McCaffrey, his parents. The McCaffrey family, including Christian's brother Dylan, has become a part of my journey, crossing paths a few times a year.

Watching Christian McCaffrey play football has been a joy. His electrifying style and exceptional skills are captivating.

As I watch him in this Super Bowl, I can't help but think back to the day when Ed told me about his talented sixth-grader, and I'm reminded that the dots we connect along our journey can lead to the most extraordinary destinations.

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Connecting The Dots: Patrick Mahomes

Let's rewind to April 2016 when something pretty awesome happened. You see, I got a text from a name I recognized but hadn't met - Kliff Kingsbury. Kliff was the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders back then.

We didn't have any prior connections, but he reached out, saying he got my number from my brother. My brother Carson, who's also pretty familiar with the NFL scene, had crossed paths with Kliff at the NFL Combine. That's how they connected.

The First Meeting

Kliff had a particular quarterback on his radar - a young talent named Patrick Mahomes. He had this intriguing line when we talked on the phone: "I don't know if he's going to be a first-round pick in baseball or football, but he's going to be one of the two. I'm not sure which."

Kliff wanted to chat about Patrick, so I told him about the QB summit camps I was running. Deshaun Watson from Clemson, Josh Dobbs from Tennessee, and Jarrett Stidham from Baylor were all joining in. I invited Kliff to come check it out.

That's when I first met Patrick Mahomes.

He showed up in his head-to-toe Under Armour gear, with the same haircut he rocks today. We hit the field, and it wasn't one of those "I knew he'd be a superstar" moments. Nope, it was more like, "Hey, this guy's super talented, and he's got a cannon for an arm."

Shootout After Shootout

Fast forward to a few years later, and I was watching Texas Tech games on TV. I even caught a live game when Texas Tech played Arizona State. Patrick was known for playing in shootouts - those high-scoring, crazy games. In one game, Caleb Belhaj, the Arizona State running back, scored a bunch of touchdowns, but Patrick's Red Raiders lost.

That's when it hit me. Patrick was getting a boatload of experience being in shootouts, and that's not just a figure of speech - every game was a real shootout. 

In those situations, being down by a touchdown or more isn't new territory. You can't afford to turn the ball over, you have to make smart plays, and you need to stay composed. Why? Because every drive counts when you're in a shootout. My college career had some similarities, so I totally got it.

Number One On My Board

As the draft process unfolded, I rated Patrick Mahomes as my number one player on the board. Not many folks agreed with that back then, not even the Chicago Bears. But the Kansas City Chiefs did, and that's where the magic began.

Now, when I watch Patrick, or when I catch up with him, I can't help but think back to the days when he was just that kid from Texas Tech, a name nobody really knew. And now, well, there's not much you don't know about him.

He's the face of the NFL, and his future is looking brighter than ever.

Connecting the Dots: Brandon Aiyuk

If you're part of the QB Summit crew or you've been following my takes on Cover Three, you know I've been training quarterbacks for the NFL draft for quite some time now.

It's been a sweet 16 years, to be exact. But here's the twist: I've also been in the lab with more than a dozen receivers, running backs, and tight ends who've all scored big in the first or second round of the draft. Yep, I'm not just about quarterbacks. I've got my hands in the pass-catching pot too.

A Different Game Now

Now, let's fast-forward to 2024. The game has evolved, my friends. If you're a running back or a tight end, you've got to double up as a pass-catcher. We're not in the 1980s anymore when tight ends were heavyweights catching flat routes.

Nope, the game's changed, and we've got some trailblazers like Travis Kelce and Christian McCaffrey redefining their positions. They're not just tight ends or running backs; they're top-tier pass-catchers. They're stacking up big yards in the air for their offenses, and they're doing it with style.

A Stacked Class Of Receivers

Let's roll the clock back to 2020 when I was gearing up for the NFL draft. I was in training mode, and one of the rising stars in my camp was none other than Brandon Aiyuk.

His agent linked us up, and we got to work. In the group, we had Brandon Aiyuk, Chase Claypool, Cam Akers, Kyle Pitts, and some other incredible pass-catching talents. But Brandon, he stood out, and not just because he was a standout player on the field.

Brandon Aiyuk was a unique case. Not unique in a bad way, but unique in a way that caught my attention. I couldn't sit here and tell you that I predicted he'd become a day-one superstar because he was relatively new to the game.

But let me give you a glimpse into his backstory. His parents are what you'd call the embodiment of the American dream. His dad came from Cameroon to the United States with just around $500 to his name.

They pursued education, started a family, and Brandon emerged as a standout athlete at Arizona State. He was a hidden gem, flying under the radar.

Here’s The Kicker

In college, Brandon was a left-side receiver. It wasn't about X or Z; it was all about left or right. So every route he ran in college was from the left side. You can imagine the comfort level there.

But the NFL game doesn't play by those rules. You've got to be versatile. So, we had to flip the script, work on those right-side routes, and adapt to the NFL's demands. And Brandon, well, he was up for the challenge. 

Standing at six-one with a whopping six-ten wingspan (yeah, you read that right), his arms were long enough to be an advantage if you've got the athleticism to back it up.

So, when the San Francisco 49ers traded up to snag him in the first round, it raised some eyebrows, and not everyone was on board. But I saw what John Lynch and the Niners saw—a diamond in the rough.

A Standout Off The Field Too

When his rookie year came around and he grappled with the complexities of the NFL, I wasn't surprised. Same goes for his sophomore year, where he made steady strides.

But what did surprise me? His third season when he earned All-Pro honors. In an era filled with talented wide receivers, he was standing tall as one of the best. 

But that's not the end of the story. Brandon Aiyuk has become more than just a standout on the field. He's married, started a family, established a foundation, and consistently performs at a high level while always giving credit to his teammates.

It all started back in January 2020 when we hit the whiteboard, and he said, "I've never run a route from the right." He hadn't learned any NFL-transferable offense, but he had something even better—relentless determination.

So, as we approach the Super Bowl, remember the name Brandon Aiyuk. He's not just on the path to being an All-Pro; he's got his eyes set on the Super Bowl crown too.

The journey from those early days in 2020 to where he stands now is nothing short of impressive.

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