FOX Sports Original ‘The Big Boys Club: O-Line Draft Academy’ Brings Offensive Line Education to the Masses
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, April 22, 2022
FOX SPORTS ORIGINAL ‘THE BIG BOYS CLUB: O-LINE DRAFT ACADEMY’ BRINGS OFFENSIVE LINE EDUCATION TO THE MASSES
FOX Sports Host Geoff Schwartz Peeks Behind the Curtain of OL Academy to Spotlight Five Elite Linemen’s Journey to Professional Ranks
O-Line Showcase Includes Evan Neal (Alabama), Charles Cross (Mississippi State), Trevor Penning (Northern Iowa), Darian Kinnard (Kentucky) and Andrew Stueber (Michigan)
LOS ANGELES – FOX Sports tips the scales of its industry-leading football coverage as it announces year two of THE BIG BOYS CLUB: O-LINE DRAFT ACADEMY, an all-access original spotlighting five of the nation’s top offensive line prospects as they prepare for the NFL Draft and a career in pro football.
THE BIG BOYS CLUB debuts Sunday, April 24, at 7:30 P.M. EST across FOX Sports’ digital properties, including FOXSports.com, the FOX Sports app, and FOX Sports’ Facebook page and YouTube channel. FS1 is televising the show on Tuesday, April 26, at 5:00 p.m. ET, with a replay set for Wednesday, April 27, at 9:00 p.m. ET.
THE BIG BOYS CLUB | CLASS OF 2022
- EVAN NEAL | Alabama
- All-American; projected top-5 pick
- CHARLES CROSS | Mississippi State
- All-American; projected Top-5 Pick
- TREVOR PENNING | Northern Iowa
- All-American; Walter Payton Award Finalist; projected top-20 pick
- DARIAN KINNARD | Kentucky
- All-American; 2021 Outland Trophy semifinalist
- ANDREW STUEBER | Michigan
- All-Big Ten honoree; Anchor of the Joe Moore Award-winning Michigan Offensive Line
Exclusive preview of "Big Boys Club" 💪@geoffschwartz and @BigDuke50 meet with the top O-Line prospects to prepare them for NFL life in the trenches.
📺: Full feature Sunday, April 24 at 7:30 ET on YouTube@ENeal73 | @CharlesC_67 | @Darian_70 | @TPenning58 | @AndrewStueber99 pic.twitter.com/OAmV9e0y1A
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) April 19, 2022
Hosted by ex-NFL lineman and current FOX Sports analyst Geoff Schwartz, THE BIG BOYS CLUB returns for a second year to follow five elite linemen’s journey as they compete at one of the industry’s most well-respected offensive line-specific football camps in the nation.
“The Big Boys Club is special because it was driven by fans,” says Michael Bucklin, Senior Vice President, Digital Content, FOX Sports. “Geoff asked his followers on Twitter if they wanted an all-access style show specifically for OL prospects, and 39-thousand people responded and said yes. If not for that, this would have never happened. We pride ourselves on listening to our fans. Now we’re into year two and it’s just getting better.”
Schwartz, a former All-Pac-12 right tackle at the University of Oregon with eight years of NFL experience, navigates the camp through the lens of the players, providing insight and personal expertise along the way. Appearing with four different teams, Schwartz’s first-hand understanding of the position results from a professional career which included blocking for the likes of Heisman Trophy winner and 3x NFL Pro Bowler, Cam Newton and 4x NFL Pro Bowler and 2x Super Bowl Champion, Eli Manning.
Schwartz is joined throughout the show by Duke Manyweather, offensive line guru and co-founder of the OL Masterminds camp. Each year, the nation’s top collegiate linemen assemble at Manyweather’s camp in Texas to train with other high-level prospects and gain a deeper understanding of the position, in addition to increasing their draft stock.
“We have the best talent here in the country – it’s unmatched,” says Manyweather. “There is no other aggregation that is specifically training and developing offensive linemen that can come anywhere close to what we’re doing here.”
Filmed on-location at Manyweather’s camp in Frisco, TX, THE BIG BOYS CLUB leaves no tire unturned as it showcases all aspects of the linemen’s pre-draft experience. The show highlights the bond Neal, Cross, Penning, Kinnard and Stueber achieve, and explores the mental makeup required for life in the trenches, as well as responsibilities outside the white lines.
“At Duke’s camp, a lot of these guys are first-round picks,” says Penning. “You’re around the best players, and that’s how you get better. Working with these guys every day, pushing each other – doing all the techniques, all the weight room stuff, really lets you see how you stack up.”
In addition to the main feature, which highlights the group’s journey, FOX Sports is releasing five individual vignettes personalized to each player that includes game-film breakdowns with Schwartz. The short-form videos are available across FOX Sports digital properties, including FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports app.
THE BIG BOYS CLUB returns for its second installment after a debut season in 2021 which saw each of the five players featured selected in the NFL Draft.
Led by NFL Second Team All-Pro Rashawn Slater (Los Angeles Chargers), four of the five players on THE BIG BOYS CLUB leveled up to achieve NFL All-Rookie status, including Penei Sewell, who was drafted seventh overall by the Detroit Lions, and Kansas City Chiefs teammates Trey Smith and Creed Humphrey. Adding in Denver Broncos third-round pick Quinn Meinerz, the five linemen from THE BIG BOYS CLUB Class of 2021 combined to play in 81 games and make 75 starts in their rookie seasons.
Additional clips from THE BIG BOYS CLUB can be found on:
— FOX SPORTS —
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Contact:
Jase Bandelow
Jase.Bandelow@FOX.com
