His life had spiraled out of control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 1997, over the course of six months, Brock Flemming \u201901 went from a twice-a-week, after-school football player to one of the most desired offensive line prospects in Canada. He committed to the University of Michigan, the school with the most all-time wins in college football history and a pipeline to the pros. Many marked him as a future NFL star. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But, he backed out of his commitment to Michigan. Coming from a regular, middle-class family, Flemming didn\u2019t know how to navigate the world of high-level athletics. And, the thought of competing for a highly ranked team so far from home was daunting. \u201cIt was overwhelming [to make that decision] without having any preparation,\u201d he reflects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, at 42, he still sometimes feels the familiar ache of regret. He could\u2019ve been the one people watched play professionally, like his childhood friend Jesse Palmer. So, to turn those thoughts into positive ones, he\u2019s working to make sure today\u2019s gifted athletes are ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On weekends during football season, the 6’7″ blonde makes his way around the University of Ottawa\u2019s dome, teaching the next generation of college and professional athletes how to be physically and mentally prepared for the challenges they\u2019ll face. As founder of the Canadian Football Institute (CFI), Flemming is using his experiences and football know-how to help accelerate his students\u2019 careers. \u201c[If I hadn\u2019t made my mistakes,] I wouldn\u2019t have understood some of the struggles that they\u2019d be going through, especially from a mental standpoint,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In an average season, 150\u2013200 high-achieving players in the Ottawa area attend the CFI for tailored workouts, extra coaching, and a strong community. They also get advice from mentors, like Flemming, on how to accelerate their careers after middle and high school. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To be able to help future college and professional football players achieve their potential is a role that inspires him every time he steps on the field. In a way, Flemming says, he\u2019s finally getting his do-over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the path to that do-over wasn\u2019t without its trials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His last year at Colgate \u2014 the school he chose over Michigan for its tight-knit feel and closer proximity to home \u2014 Flemming suffered an injury and had to sit out the season. He felt tired and overwhelmed with football. With guidance and care from his support system, including then head trainer Marty Erb and Dr. Merrill Miller, director of Student Health Services, Flemming earned an educational studies degree. He also felt support through the camaraderie of his teammates and Delta Upsilon brothers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After graduating, Flemming played Canadian rules football at the University
of Ottawa. His talent was apparent, and soon he was named the No. 1 tackle in the country, which earned him a stint in the Canadian Football League (CFL). However, the low income and on-the-road lifestyle made him yearn for home. So, he left the sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coming to terms with the fact that he wouldn\u2019t play football professionally again, he began to wish that someone had told him how to navigate the football world \u2014 from being recruited at the high school level to playing for the NFL. And then it hit him: He could be that person to the next generation of football players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Outside of his day job as a procurement manager for the Canadian government, he started organizing a free combine, so any players who had the ability to compete could do so. One of the first athletes he tested and identified was a 14-year-old Neville Gallimore \u2014 whom you may have seen on TV recently, playing for the Dallas Cowboys. That combine morphed into what is now the CFI, and it continues to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou have to have your super vision,\u201d he says. For Flemming, that dream involves expanding the 12-year-old organization. Its nonprofit wing, Football Forward, launched in early 2021 with a $40,000 grant. \u201cWe never let a kid\u2019s finances dictate whether or not they can train with us,\u201d Flemming says. \u201cYou put the effort in, we\u2019ll let you do it.\u201d He\u2019s also adding an academic component, so he can ensure his players have degrees alongside their trophies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s funny how good things come back when you\u2019re doing good things,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of Flemming\u2019s Canadian Football Institute students was Colgate defensive back Arthur Hamlin \u201923.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Brock Flemming is founder of the Canadian Football Institute, which helps high school players prepare for college and beyond.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1222,"featured_media":6621,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[62,112],"coauthors":[168],"class_list":["post-6620","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-alumni-updates","tag-football","tag-sports"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/palXSH-1IM","amp_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/news.colgate.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/05\/Brock_01.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.colgate.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6620","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.colgate.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.colgate.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.colgate.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1222"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.colgate.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6620"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/news.colgate.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6620\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6625,"href":"https:\/\/news.colgate.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6620\/revisions\/6625"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.colgate.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6621"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.colgate.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6620"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.colgate.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6620"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.colgate.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6620"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.colgate.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=6620"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}