Former Pirates star Ryan Neuzil prepares for Atlanta Falcons training camp

The first time Ryan Neuzil stepped foot at Athletic Edge Sports Performance Training Center in Lakewood Ranch was in the summer of 2020.

Neuzil, a Braden River High School graduate, was about to enter his senior season at Appalachian State University. The versatile offensive lineman was looking for a workout to get a head start on camp.

His family had been friends with Athletic Edge founder Mike Gough for years, but Neuzil had never set foot inside the establishment. With no other plans in place, Neuzil figured it would be a good time to change that. He went to Athletic Edge for a week, and that was enough for him.

“It sucked,” Neuzil said with a laugh. “The first time you train here, it’s a change of pace.”

Photo by Ryan Kohn

It’s a more intense workout than athletes are used to outside of team activities. Neuzil explained that Gough asks his athletes to perform movements they aren’t used to doing, so different muscles get their attention.

The intensity is also higher, Neuzil said. Athletes don’t have time to catch their breath. After a while, you get used to the pace and it becomes a new normal, he added.

Although Neuzil was burned out after his first experience with Athletic Edge, he felt it helped him. He returned to the center a year later to prepare for his NFL pro day. He enjoyed it more this time around.

Neuzil went undrafted in 2021 but signed with the Atlanta Falcons and has since become a key part of the offensive line. He even started four games for the Falcons in 2023 when center Drew Dalman missed time with an ankle injury. Each offseason, he returned to Athletic Edge before heading to training camp.

Neuzil signed a one-year deal with the Falcons in March. He’ll need to earn another one with his play if he wants to return in 2025. Early in a key season of his career, Neuzil did what he always does: go to Gough.

He was at Athletic Edge on July 18, for a final morning workout before a farewell dinner with his family that evening, as players are scheduled to report to camp on July 24.

“We want to push him, but also keep him under control,” said Gough, who served as Neuzil’s spotter on the bench press. “We want him to feel refreshed when he goes to camp, not tired.”

Gough knows what he’s doing. Neuzil is far from the only professional athlete to have frequented his gym.

The walls of Athletic Edge are lined with framed and signed jerseys from athletes Gough has helped in the past, including former New York Giants center David Baas and wide receiver Victor Cruz, former Seattle Seahawks tight end Luke Willson and former Indianapolis Colts running back Joseph Addai, whose jersey hanging is his 2007 AFC Pro Bowl jersey. Other sports are also represented. Former Baltimore Orioles wide receiver Matt Wieters and closer Jim Johnson each have jerseys hanging on the wall.

Photo by Ryan Kohn

In his final offseason workout with Gough, Neuzil got what he wanted. He worked his way up to bench press 165kg, then gradually tapered off.

He could have lifted more weight, Gough said, but they want to keep him in shape. Among the other activities Gough had Neuzil complete were three farmer’s walks with 95-pound weights, topped off with 10 “shrugs” at the end of each walk for extra work on his shoulders and arms. He finished with two vigorous laps on the gym’s SkiErg, a type of rowing machine originally designed for cross-country skiers that works an athlete’s legs, core and arms in one motion.

Neuzil needed to catch his breath and drink some water after all that. But then he talked about his fourth season in the NFL.

“You get more comfortable as the years go by, but you’re always fighting for your position,” Neuzil said. “You have to keep proving yourself because they’re always ready to replace you (if you don’t). Last year was good, I was able to get on the field and make a few starts, but every year is a new year. Last year doesn’t mean anything anymore.”

Neuzil made his first career start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Atlanta in December. Neuzil said his entire family was able to attend the game, which added to the experience. Were there any nerves? Yes, he said, but they dissipated after the first snap. He couldn’t afford to be nervous, he said, and besides, it was still football, the same game he’d played since he was a kid.

He’s taking the same approach to the 2024 season. The novelty of playing in the NFL has long since worn off. Neuzil has a job to do, and he’s going to do it the best he can. That means going to training camp and going from “good shape” to “football shape.” For Neuzil, there’s a huge difference.

“To be in shape, you literally have to play football,” Neuzil said. “It may sound silly, but football is hard to replicate. You make 20 plays where you may only have a four-second constraint, but in those four seconds you have to move a 300-pound defender.”

Neuzil is determined to prove he can do that consistently in 2024. With the help of Athletic Edge, he has a good head start.