Inside the Headset with the AFCA

This week on Inside the Headset, we are featuring Jersey Mike's Subs co-founder and CEO, Peter Cancro. Cancro discusses how his youth football coach helped him buy his first sub shop, the similarities between football and business, as well as the importance of giving back and impacting others.

In 1971, Peter Cancro was a high school student in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. He began working at Mike's Subs at the age of 14. When Peter was a senior in high school, he overheard the owner of Mike's Subs discussing selling the business. As an ambitious 17-year-old kid, Peter approached his football coach, who was also a banker, and asked if he could help him buy the shop. His football coach, Rod Smith came through for Peter, and backed his loan. At the tender age of 17 – before he was legally able to slice a sub – Peter Cancro became the owner and proprietor of Mike's Subs.

Shortly after buying Mike's, he opened a couple more local outlets. He expanded upon the phenomenon of Mike's Subs. In the mid-eighties, Peter began to realize people would come in at the end of 'summering' in Jersey and get several giant subs wrapped for travel, to carry back to their homes across the country. This got Peter thinking, and he started researching the possibilities of franchising. In 1987, 29-year-old Peter began franchising, however, he changed the name from Mike's Subs to Jersey Mike's Subs capturing the authenticity of where the sub sandwich was born.

Today, in his 45th year owning the business, Cancro oversees more than 2,000 locations. Despite the title, Peter still jumps behind the counter to demonstrate his passion for the product and the customer.

• [1:43] Start of interview
• [2:27] Advantages of working at a young age
• [3:08] Buying Mike's Submarines
• [5:55] Franchising Jersey Mike's
• [7:35] Getting through tough seasons
• [11:02] Recruiting employees
• [14:04] Jersey Mike's unique training program
• [17:13] Similarities between football and business
• [19:46] The importance of employee input
• [22:30] Jersey Mike's Day of Giving
• [27:55] Advice to first-year head coaches

This week on Inside the Headset, we are featuring the Beyond the Field: Enhancing the Experience of College Football breakout session from the 2020 AFCA Convention. This panel features Roosevelt Boone, the Director of Player Engagement at Rutgers University; Mikado Hinson, the Director of Player Development at Texas A&M University; and Kevin Washington, the Director of Player Development at the University of Texas. This session was moderated by Ed Jones, who is the Director of Player Development at the University of Kansas.

These coaches discuss the role of player development, personal wellness, community impact, as well as career and professional development.

Roosevelt Boone currently serves as the Director of Player Engagement for the Rutgers University football team. Here, Boone creates personal and professional development for athletes through wellness, civic engagement and career development. Prior to joining the staff at Rutgers, Boone co-founded Strong Mind-Strong Body, Inc., a nonprofit organization that promotes physical, mental, and spiritual wellness through summer youth programs for low-income households in an effort to improve the quality of life for families and communities.

Mikado Hinson is currently the Director of Player Development at Texas A&M University. Prior to joining the Aggies, Hinson served on staff with Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Houston, Texas. Here, Mikado spent 14 years working as the Team Chaplain and Character Development Coach for the University of Houston football program. Hinson has also worked as the Team Chaplain for the Houston Rockets, and served on the FCA National Chaplain’s Task Force.

Kevin Washington is currently the Director of Player Development at the University of Texas. Here, he helps develop young men of character both on and off the field. Prior to joining the Longhorns’ staff, Washington served on staff with Fellowship of Christian Athletes as the University of Houston athletic department chaplain. Before U of H, Washington also worked on staff at FCA in Abilene, Texas.

Edward Jones is currently the director of player development at the University of Kansas. Prior to joining the Jayhawks’ staff, Jones served as the director of player development at the University of Houston, where he created Beyond The Field, a program that focuses on the personal welfare, community impact, and career development of the U of H football players.

This week on Inside the Headset, we are featuring Cedar Hill High School Quarterback Coach and Recruiting Coordinator, DJ Mann. Coach Mann discusses the importance of being a recruiting coordinator for the right reasons, the significance of knowing the academic component to recruiting, as well as the value in positively promoting your athletes.

DJ Mann has been in the education profession for over 11 years, teaching and coaching throughout the Dallas Metroplex, West Texas, Houston, and East Texas. Mann has been a teacher, quarterback coach, and recruiting coordinator at Cedar Hill since 2017. Prior to Cedar Hill, Coach Mann spent four years as the assistant head coach, offensive coordinator, and recruiting coordinator at Crosby High School (2012-16). Mann has also had coaching stints at Sulphur Springs High School (2010-12), Wylie High School (2008-10), Spruce High School (2007-08), and Palo Duro High School (2006). Additionally, Coach Mann is the owner of BeGreat Academy, a quarterback and receiver program preparing athletes for recruiting camps, combines, and showcases.

• [1:35] Start of interview
• [2:51] Being a recruiting coordinator for the right reasons
• [4:03] Creating the buzz on social media
• [5:45] Developing film for recruits
• [8:50] The significance of academics
• [14:15] Communicating with collegiate scouts
• [18:02] Promote your players
• [23:26] Separating yourself as a recruiting coordinator

This week on Inside the Headset, we are featuring Texas Tech University Strength and Conditioning Coach, Dave Scholz. Coach Scholz discusses how he stayed connected with his players in the midst of a pandemic, offers advice for other coaches as athletes return to campus, and shares the experience of coaching a first-round NFL draft pick.

Dave Scholz is entering his second season as Texas Tech’s head strength and conditioning coach. Scholz was among Matt Wells’ first hires after accepting the head coaching position at Texas Tech, bringing with him his strength and conditioning coach from all six seasons at Utah State (2013-18). In his position, Scholz oversees the entire strength and conditioning program for the Red Raiders, while also working closely with the athletic training and nutrition staffs. As a graduate assistant, Scholz tutored under current Minnesota Vikings head strength and conditioning coach Mark Uyeyama, who served in a similar capacity at Utah State from 2004-07. Uyeyama later hired Scholz as a strength and conditioning intern with the San Francisco 49ers in 2011. Scholz was promoted to a strength, nutrition and conditioning assistant with the 49ers in 2012 where he was responsible for the programming of quarterbacks and kickers, as well as all the nutritional aspects of the organization.

Scholz has earned his CSCS Certification from the NSCA, Precision Nutrition Certification, ISSA Sports Nutrition Certification, BioSignature Modulation, PICP Levels I & II Certification, Metabolic Analytics Certification, Kinetic Chain Enhancement Upper and Lower Body Certification, and Functional Range Conditioning Mobility Specialist Certification (FRCms).

• [1:35] Start of interview
• [2:10] Staying connected with athletes during COVID-19
• [4:11] Finding creative ways to train throughout quarantine
• [6:47] Implementing virtual daily meetings
• [8:26] Keeping athletes motivated
• [10:38] Protocol for when athletes return to campus
• [14:22] Advice for coaches as athletes return
• [19:17] Silver linings during the pandemic
• [21:25] The value of continued education
• [23:00] Coaching a first-round draft pick

This week on Inside the Headset, we are featuring North Dakota State University Defensive Coordinator and Safeties Coach, David Braun. Coach Braun discusses his journey from graduate assistant to defensive coordinator, the importance of learning and coaching various positions, and the value of maintaining personal and professional relationships.

David Braun was named defensive coordinator and safeties coach at North Dakota State University in January 2019. In his first season at NDSU, Braun led a defense that ranked first in the Football Championship Subdivision in scoring defense (12.3 ppg) and passing yards allowed (138.6 ypg) while finishing second in total defense (274.7 ypg) and pass efficiency defense (104.8). Braun came to NDSU after two seasons at Northern Iowa, where he was the defensive line coach and run game coordinator (2017), and the outside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator (2018). He is a graduate of Winona State, where he played defensive line for NDSU head coach Matt Entz from 2004-07 and joined him on staff as a graduate assistant for two years after his playing career (2008-09). Braun was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Culver-Stockton (2010), then returned to Winona State for four years as the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach (2011-14), and jumped to the FCS level as the defensive line coach at UC Davis for two seasons (2015-16).

• [1:34] Start of interview
• [1:51] Early years in the coaching profession
• [6:23] Becoming the defensive coordinator at Culver-Stockton
• [8:51] "Be willing to bet on yourself"
• [11:32] Returning to Winona State
• [14:13] Changing paths to position coaching
• [18:02] The importance of learning various coaching positions
• [22:57] Seeing the game through an experienced defensive coordinator's eyes
• [26:27] What it means to coach alongside Matt Entz