RU STRONG PODCAST | NEW EPISODE

On this episode of the RU Strong Podcast, I sit down with an exceptional leader who truly understands the connection between physical performance, mental resilience, and elite leadership: Jamey Mroz.

Jamey’s journey is powerful and unconventional. From playing linebacker at Springfield College, to earning degrees in kinesiology, exercise science, and sports psychology, he went on to coach and work at the highest levels of sport including the NFL with the New York Giants, Cincinnati Bengals, and Cleveland Browns, as well as elite academic institutions like Vanderbilt, Harvard, and Boston College

What makes this conversation special isn’t just Jamey’s resume, it’s how he thinks.

We dive deep into:

• The mental side of performance that athletes and leaders don’t talk about enough

• Why focus beats motivation and how vision drives every decision

• The powerful relationship between physical capacity and mental capacity

• How leaders build confidence, emotional intelligence, and self-awareness

• Why great leaders must learn to lead themselves first

• Translating lessons from the gridiron to the boardroom

Jamey explains why success isn’t about avoiding adversity, it’s about mental agility, learning how to respond, and bouncing back faster when things don’t go your way. Whether you’re an athlete, coach, executive, or parent, this episode will challenge how you think about leadership, competition, and personal growth.

This is a must-listen for anyone who wants to perform at a higher level, mentally, physically, and professionally.

💪 RU STRONG. ALWAYS.

🎙️ RU Strong Podcast – Featuring Dom Clegg

On this episode of the RU Strong Podcast, I sit down with Dom Clegg, a former college football player turned elite mental performance and leadership coach, whose journey is built on resilience, mindset shifts, and relentless growth.

Dom played college football at Ohio Dominican University, where he began his career as a walk-on, earned a scholarship, and ultimately helped lead his team to a conference championship after navigating setbacks, self-doubt, and adversity. His story is a powerful reminder that success isn’t linear and that mindset often matters more than talent.

After his playing career, Dom transitioned into coaching at both the high school and collegiate levels, including stops at Wheeling University and Kent State, and contributed to a state championship program as a performance coach. Today, he is the founder of A1pha Pack, where he works one-on-one with athletes, teams, and organizations on mentalperformance, leadership development, discipline, and identity beyond sport.

This episode is packed with real talk, locker-room wisdom,and practical tools for current athletes, former athletes, coaches, andhigh performers looking to win the mental game.

If you’ve ever struggled with confidence, transition, or finding your next purpose after sports this episode is for you.

Welcome back to the RU Strong Podcast, where we highlight leaders who embody resilience, excellence, and service through sport.

Today’s guest is someone whose journey in swimming is nothing short of extraordinary, Katie Robinson.

Katie’s story begins as an elite student-athlete at the University of Texas, one of the premier powerhouses in college swimming. As a Longhorn, she was an 11-time All-American, three-time Big 12 Champion, team captain, and helped lead Texas to four consecutive Top-10 NCAA finishes.She earned First Team ESPN The Magazine All-District honors, was an Academic All-American, and accomplished all of this while majoring in kinesiology, one of the most demanding academic paths in college athletics. Her excellence was further recognized with the VF Doc Newhouse Endowed Presidential Scholarship, the highest honor in Texas women’s athletics.

Following her competitive career, she built an elite coaching résumé that spans some of the most respected programs in the country. She contributed to six ACC team championships at the University of Virginia, helped elevate Rutgersto one of its strongest conference finishes, and as Head Coach at Tulane, she shattered every school swimming record. She later made history at Northwestern as just the second woman in Power Five history to oversee both men’s andwomen’s programs, leading the team to the highest national ranking in school history.

Her impact continued at Stanford University, where she helped guide the program to a 2025 NCAA National Runner-Up finish, a 2024 Top 5 NCAA finish, produced three NCAA individual champions, and coached 34 NCAA All-Americans, all while Stanford maintained its distinction as the only program to never finish outside the NCAA Top 10

On the global stage, Katie has coached with Team USA, contributing to performances that included 21 world records and 39 total medals, 18 gold, 13 silvers, and 8 bronze, at international championships.

Beyond the accolades, what truly defines Katie Robinson is her commitment to developing the whole athlete, blending elite performance, mental toughness, trust, culture, and leadership. From navigating the evolving recruiting landscape, NIL, and the transfer portal, to mentoring athletesthrough pressure, identity, and growth, Katie’s perspective offers invaluable insight for athletes, coaches, and leaders alike.

We’re honored to welcome college swimming coach, Olympic-level leader, and transformational mentor, Katie Robinson to the RU Strong Podcast.

Today on the RU Strong Podcast, I’m honored to welcome one of the most respected leaders in college baseball, Rick Heller, Head Baseball Coach at the University of Iowa.

Coach Heller’s career is a masterclass in patience, persistence, and culture-driven leadership. He began his coaching journey at Upper Iowa University, where he built a winning program from the ground up, then continued that success at Northern Iowa and Indiana State, winning a Missouri ValleyConference regular-season championship for the first time in school history.

Since taking over at Iowa in 2014, Coach Heller has transformed the Hawkeyes into a consistent Big Ten contender, capturing the program’s first-ever Big Ten Championship in 2017, earning seven straight postseasonappearances, multiple NCAA Regional berths, and developing many MLB Draft picks along the way. His career has now produced nearly 1,100 wins, a testament tolongevity, leadership, and relentless standards.

But what truly separates Coach Heller isn’t just the wins, it’s his culture-first, process-driven approach, his commitment to player development on and off the field, and his beliefthat real success is built in the hours no one is watching. From navigating the challenges of coaching in the North, to adapting to NIL, the transfer portal, and today’s evolving college landscape, Coach Heller offers a powerful perspectiveon leadership, accountability, and doing things the right way.

This conversation goes far beyond baseball.It’s about earning trust, building programs the right way, and developing young men for life after the game.

Coach Rick Heller, welcome to the RU Strong Podcast.

Today on the RU Strong Podcast, we’re bringing you an incredible story of perseverance, discipline, and unwavering belief. Our guest is someone whose journey from Middlesex, New Jersey to the bright lights of Division I football is nothing short of inspiring.

Jordan Campbell isn’t just a standout defensive end at Rice University; he’s the definition of resilience. Coming out ofMiddlesex High School with a 3.9 GPA, Jordan dominated both in the classroom and on the field. But when he tore hisACL before his senior season, during a camp, no less, it derailed recruiting and forced him to rethink everything he thought was ahead of him. Instead of quitting, Jordan chose the toughest route: JUCO.At Nassau Community College, he hit the ground running, all gas, no brakes, becoming an Academic All-American with a 3.8 GPA while proving to every coach in the country that hewas physically and mentally built for the next level. That discipline and grit earned him a scholarship to Rice University, where he continued balancing high-level football with high academic standards, posting a 3.4 GPA at one of the most demanding institutions in the country.

His journey didn’t get easier, more injuries, setbacks, and the pressure of big-time D1 football but Jordan kept showing up. He kept working. He kept believing that he belonged.

Today, Jordan is a leader, a role model, and a testament to the power of sacrifice, family support, and mental toughness. His mantra? “All gas, no brakes.” And his why?
To make his family proud and turn every setback into strength.

Get ready for an honest, powerful conversation aboutadversity, mindset, injuries, JUCO life, family, academics, pressure, and what it really takes to climb your way from a torn ACL to the Division I stage wearing number 0 and making it mean something.

 Please welcome … Jordan Campbell.

Welcome back to the RU Strong Podcast. Today, we’re joined by an exceptional coach and leader shaping some of the most disciplined student-athletes in the nation, Coach Jimmy Criscione of the United States Naval Academy.

Jimmy is a summa cum laude graduate of Monmouth University, a former team captain, and a three-time MAAC All-Academic selection. Before that, he competed at powerhouse Bergen Catholic, where his passion for sport and leadership first took shape.

But today, Jimmy’s impact is felt in Annapolis, where he’s now in his third season as Assistant Coach for Navy Men’s Golf. At the Naval Academy, he works daily with midshipmen who balance military training, elite academics, and Division I athletics, a level of structure, intensity, and accountability unlike anywhere else in college sports.

From navigating their packed military schedules,
to preparing them for the pressure of the Army–Navy rivalry,
to helping future officers become mentally strong, technically sound, and physically ready.
Jimmy plays a pivotal role in developing young men who will not just compete but serve our nation.

With certifications as a PGA Class A Professional, TPI Coach, and Golf Digest Fitness Trainer, Jimmy brings a complete,holistic approach to coaching, reflecting his core philosophy of “Developing Champions in Life.”

It’s an honor to have Coach Jimmy Criscione on the show. Welcome to the RU Strong Podcast.

Welcome back to the RU Strong Podcast. I’m your host, Jeff Durr, and today we’re spotlighting a young man whose journey through athletics, adversity, leadership, and personal growth is nothing short of inspiring.

Our guest, Antonio Boone, is someone who not only competed as a college athlete but chose to devote his professional life to helping other student-athletes thrive in ways he never knew how to while he was in their shoes.

Antonio’s path began in Virginia, where he grew up before heading to Richard Bland College to run track and earn his associate’s degree. From there, he continued his career at Virginia Wesleyan University, becoming a captainon the track team while earning his bachelor’s degree, a role that revealed his natural leadership and passion for supporting others

He later earned his master’s degree in Sport Management from Georgia Southern University, before stepping into the coaching world, serving as a high school track coach, a club assistant coach at Old Dominion University, and eventually a track recruiting coordinator at Bryant & Stratton College. Hethen returned to Richard Bland as both a track coach and Residential Life Coordinator, impacting students on and off the track.

Today, Antonio serves at Johns Hopkins University as the Director of Life Design for Student-Athletes, where he guides athletes through the most pivotal transition of their lives, the journey from sport to what comes next. His mission is deeply personal; he once struggled to navigate that sametransition, and now he’s become the very resource he wishes he had as a student-athlete himself

Antonio’s story is filled with meaningful lessons, overcoming injury, learning discipline, discovering his “why,” balancing academics, work, and athletics, and ultimately finding purpose in helping others succeed. Most importantly, his heart for mentorship shines through every chapter of hisjourney.

Antonio, welcome to the RU Strong Podcast. We’re excited to share your story and the impact you’re making on athletes everywhere.

Welcome back to the RU Strong Podcast. Today’s guest is a true embodiment of grit, discipline, and heart both on and off the mat.

Nick Gravina is a four-time NCAA National Qualifier, a two-time Big Ten placer, a Round of 12 finisher, and the first five-time All-Academic Big Ten honoree in Rutgers wrestling history. With 77 career wins, Nick carved out one of the most respected careers in the Rutgers wrestling room and competed against the very best in the country. After graduating, Nick continued giving back to the sport by coaching at New Jersey City University and Columbia University. During that time, he launched his own mental performance coaching practice, helping athletes strengthen their mindset, confidence, and emotional control. That work evolved into Paragon Parenting, a family-development company Nick co-founded to help parents and children buildstronger communication, resilience, and support systems.

Today, we’ll dive into his journey, from overcoming academic challenges, battling through significant injuries, and wrestling on the biggest stage to discovering his faith, finding identity beyond sport, becoming a new father, and dedicating his life to helping families grow stronger.

It is my honor to welcome to the RU Strong Podcast Nick Gravina

Welcome back to the RU Strong Podcast, hosted by Jeff Durr.

Today’s guest is a true legend of the gridiron, a former University of Maine Black Bear who turned his small-town determination into a nine-year NFL career. From Wareham High School in Massachusetts to Orono, Maine, Stephen Cooper’s journey is a story of grit, leadership, and resilience.

During his time with the Black Bears from 1998 to 2002, Cooper dominated the field, earning titles such as Atlantic 10Co-Defensive Player of the Year, two-time Buck Buchanan Award finalist, and eventually becoming a proud memberof the University of Maine Sports Hall of Fame. His college career stats say it all: 374 tackles, 57 tackles for loss, 25 sacks, and 7 interceptions, a defensive captain and force to be reckoned with.

After college, Cooper went undrafted but refused to let that define him. Signed as a free agent by the San Diego Chargers, he spent nine incredible seasons with one team, a rare feat in today’s NFL. He became a team captain, led the Chargers in tackles in 2007 and 2008, and appeared in 92 regular season games, finishing with 503 tackles, 9.5 sacks, and 8 interceptions.

In today’s episode, Stephen opens up about his journey, from his early days in Cape Cod and the challenges of the NavalAcademy, to his rise at Maine and transition to the NFL. He shares how leadership, brotherhood, and second chances shaped not just his career, but his life after football.

This is a story about perseverance, accountability, and betting on yourself when no one else will.

So, sit back, get ready to be inspired as Jeff Durr goes one-on-one with Stephen Cooper, former University of Maine Hall of Famer and San Diego Chargers captain, right here on the RU Strong Podcast.

Welcome back to another episode of the RU Strong Podcast, hosted by Jeff Durr, where grit meets greatness and athletes share their journey of resilience on and off the field.

Today’s guest is someone whose story embodies Tiger Styletoughness and Scarlet Knight pride. A two-time NCAA All-American, five-time NCAA qualifier, and Southern Scuffle Champion, he’s also a three-time Academic All-Big 12 selection, proving that excellence doesn’t stop on themat. A proud member of the 100-Win Club with 107 career victories, and the 2024 Tiger Style Most Outstanding Wrestler, he’s one of the most decorated heavyweights to ever wear the black and gold of Missouri wrestling.

Now calling Belmar, New Jersey home, Zach is training with the Scarlet Knight Wrestling Club at Rutgers University, embracing a new chapter surrounded by the beach, good food, and great competition. His journey from KansasCity to Columbia to Rutgers has been built on hard work, family, and faith, lessons learned from his longtime coach Brian Smith, his brother, and his own battle through injuries and adversity.

Tune in to hear how Zach Elam continues to live Tiger Style, now carrying that same championship mindset into his next phase with the Scarlet Knight Wrestling Club and beyond.