Former Southeast Missouri football standouts Dan Connolly and Ryan Roth recently opened D1 Training, a World-Class Performance Center in St. Louis.
D1 Training, a leading fitness concept that utilizes the five tenets of athletic-based training to help people of all ages achieve their sport and fitness goals, has opened as the first D1 in Missouri. A grand opening celebration was held last weekend.
The St. Louis West D1 Training location is owned and operated by Connolly and Roth, who will join a vast group of existing D1 Training franchisees including professional athletes such as Super Bowl MVP Von Miller, Tim Tebow, Chipper Jones and Peyton Manning.
Connolly (2001-04), a member of SEMO's Athletic Hall of Fame, was a four-year starting offensive tackle and a Second-Team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection in each of his four seasons as a Redhawk. He went on to play 10 seasons in the NFL, including eight with the New England Patriots. Connolly became the first player in school history to play in a Super Bowl when he suited up with the Patriots against the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI (46). He then won a Super Bowl XLIX (49) ring with New England in Glendale, Arizona.
Roth (1999-03) was a First-Team All-OVC defensive lineman in 2003 and earned second-team honors in 2002. He ranked among SEMO's career leaders in sacks (t6th, 10) and tackles for loss (29). Roth worked for D1 Training before deciding to open a location in Ballwin.
Fellow SEMO alum Jeremy Koerber serves as the general manager of the facility.
D1 Training currently has more than 25 performance centers open with 21 additional locations in development. Anticipating nearly 40 new franchise agreements signed by 2019, the brand expects more than 100 locations operating in the next three years.
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