J. R. Conrad facts for kids

James Robert Conrad (born February 2, 1974) is a former American football player. He was an offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL). J. R. Conrad played for the New England Patriots, the New York Jets, and the Dallas Cowboys. Before joining the NFL, he played college football at the University of Oklahoma.

After his time in the NFL, Conrad became a coach. He coached both high school football teams and arena football teams. One of the teams he coached was the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz.

Early Life and High School Football

J. R. Conrad was born on February 2, 1974, in Miami, Oklahoma. He was named after two of his uncles. Conrad is a member of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma. He grew up in Indian housing in Miami. His maternal grandmother raised him when he was young.

Later, Conrad lived with his uncle, who was a Marine. During his second year of high school, he moved to Fairland, Oklahoma. He went to Fairland High School, which was a small school.

Playing Multiple Sports

At Fairland High School, Conrad played many sports. He was on the football, basketball, weightlifting, and track teams. In football, he played on both the offensive and defensive lines. He also played as a kicker.

Conrad was a very talented football player. He was named an all-state player. He also won the Gatorade Player of the Year award. This award was for both Oklahoma and the Southwest United States. He finished high school in 1992. His senior class had only 18 students.

Choosing a College Team

Conrad was asked to play for the Missouri Tigers by coach Andy Reid. But he decided to go to the University of Oklahoma instead. He wanted to play for the Oklahoma Sooners. He chose Oklahoma because he respected their assistant coach, Merv Johnson.

College Football Career

J. R. Conrad played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners. He played from 1992 to 1995.

Freshman Year (1992)

When Conrad joined Oklahoma in 1992, the team had a problem. Their main centers were hurt. The coaches, Merv Johnson and Gary Gibbs, asked Conrad to be the starting center. This was surprising because he had never played center before.

Conrad thought it was a joke at first. But he quickly learned the position. He only fumbled the ball twice all season. He became the first true freshman to start as a center in Oklahoma Sooners history. He started every game in 1992. He also earned freshman All-American honors.

Sophomore and Junior Years (1993-1994)

In 1993, Conrad played in every game. He started four games as a left tackle and one game as a center. He also started as a left tackle in the 1993 John Hancock Bowl.

In 1994, Conrad moved to right tackle. He started every game at this position. He was a big player, listed at 6 feet 5 inches and 311 pounds. He helped the offensive line become one of the best in the country. This allowed running backs James "Lightning" Allen and Jerald "Thunder" Moore to run the ball well.

The Sooners played against the top-ranked Nebraska team in November 1994. Their head coach, Gary Gibbs, announced he was leaving before this game. Conrad and other players felt Gibbs was treated unfairly. The Sooners lost the Nebraska game. Conrad also started in the 1994 Copper Bowl, which the Sooners lost.

Senior Year (1995)

After coach Gibbs left, Howard Schnellenberger became the new head coach. Coach Schnellenberger was very different. He asked Conrad to lose 50 pounds before the 1995 season. Conrad weighed about 275 pounds after this.

Conrad got a shoulder injury early in 1995. Doctors suggested surgery, but he chose to recover without it. He missed two weeks but then started the last nine games at right tackle. Over his four years in college, Conrad started a total of 46 games.

On December 25, 1995, Conrad played in the annual Blue-Gray Game. His team, the Blue team, won the game.

Professional Football Career

J. R. Conrad played in the NFL for a few years.

New England Patriots

The New England Patriots chose Conrad in the seventh round of the 1996 NFL draft. He was on their practice squad for the entire 1996 season. He played as a tackle and guard. That season, the Patriots made it to Super Bowl XXXI. They lost to the Green Bay Packers. The Patriots released Conrad in August 1997.

New York Jets

On September 22, 1997, Conrad joined the New York Jets. He was playing for coach Bill Parcells again, as they had both been with the Patriots. The Jets moved Conrad back to playing center. He had not played center since his first year in college.

Conrad started one game for the Jets in 1997. He played in a total of twelve games that season. He got a back injury before the 1998 season. The Jets released him in August 1998.

Time Away from Football

After his injury, Conrad had back surgery in 1999. He took some time off from football. He thought his NFL career was over. He went back to the University of Oklahoma to finish his degree.

In 2000, Conrad got a call from the Dallas Cowboys. They invited him to training camp. He was surprised because he had not played football in about two years. He had also gained some weight.

Dallas Cowboys

Conrad decided to join the Cowboys' training camp. He signed with them on August 1, 2000. But he was released by the team twenty days later. Even though he was cut, playing with great NFL players like Larry Allen made him feel better about football.

Coaching Career

After his playing career, J. R. Conrad became a football coach.

High School Coaching

In 2001, Conrad became an assistant coach at Crooked Oak High School in Oklahoma City. He coached there until 2003. In 2004, he was an assistant coach at Tuttle High School in Tuttle, Oklahoma.

Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz

In January 2005, Conrad became a coach for the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz. This was an arena football team. He coached the offensive and defensive lines. The team did well in 2005, 2006, and 2007. They made it to the playoffs in those years.

The 2008 season was not as good for the Yard Dawgz. They missed the playoffs that year. After this season, Conrad went back to coaching high school football.

Dibble High School

In 2009, Conrad became an assistant coach at Dibble High School in Dibble, Oklahoma. He became the head coach in 2011. He left this job in April 2014. He wanted to spend more time helping his own children with their sports.

Trench Mafia Training

Conrad was inspired to start his own training program for offensive linemen. He saw a coach who yelled at players, which made them feel bad. Conrad wanted to help players in a better way. His training program is called Trench Mafia. It is free, but players must be invited to join.

Many talented players have come from this program. These include Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Creed Humphrey. Other players include Owen Condon from the Georgia Bulldogs and Hunter Anthony from the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Personal Life

J. R. Conrad married Keisha Conrad in June 1997. They live in Mustang, Oklahoma, near Oklahoma City. They have four children: Hayden, Hudson, Henley, and Holden. Their son Hayden is a quarterback for the Evangel Valor college football team.

In 2022, Conrad was honored. He was inducted into the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame.