J. R. Conrad facts for kids

James Robert "J. R." Conrad (born February 2, 1974) is a former American football player. He was an offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL). J. R. 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 and arena football. He is well-known for coaching the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz.

Early Life and High School Football

J. R. Conrad was born on February 2, 1974, in Miami, Oklahoma. His mother is Priscilla Conrad. 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 grandmother raised him when he was young. Later, he lived with his uncle, who was a Marine.

During high school, Conrad moved to Fairland, Oklahoma. He went to Fairland High School, which was a small school. He played football, basketball, and participated in weightlifting and track. In football, he played on both the offensive and defensive lines. He also played kicker.

Conrad was a top player in high school. 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.

Many colleges wanted Conrad to play for them. He chose to go to the University of Oklahoma. He wanted to play for the Oklahoma Sooners. He respected their assistant coach, Merv Johnson.

College Football Career

Starting as a Freshman

When Conrad joined Oklahoma in 1992, he faced a challenge. The team's main centers were hurt. Coaches Merv Johnson and Gary Gibbs asked Conrad to be the starting center. This was surprising because he had never played center before. He was also a freshman.

Conrad quickly learned the new position. He only fumbled the ball twice all season. He became the first true freshman to start at center for the Oklahoma Sooners. He started every game in 1992. He also earned freshman All-American honors.

Playing Multiple Positions

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

For the 1994 season, 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 head coach, Gary Gibbs, left the team before the last game of 1994. Conrad and other players felt Gibbs was treated unfairly. They thought he had done his best for the team.

Overcoming Injury

In 1995, a new coach, Howard Schnellenberger, joined Oklahoma. He asked Conrad to lose 50 pounds. Conrad got down to about 275 pounds.

Conrad hurt his shoulder early in the 1995 season. Doctors suggested surgery and sitting out the rest of the year. But Conrad chose to recover without surgery. He missed only two weeks. He then started the final nine games at right tackle. Over his four years in college, Conrad started 46 games.

On December 25, 1995, Conrad played in the Blue-Gray Game. His team, the Blue team, won the game 26–7.

Professional Football Career

New England Patriots

The New England Patriots picked J. R. Conrad in the seventh round of the 1996 NFL draft. He spent the entire 1996 season on the practice squad. He played tackle and guard. That year, the Patriots reached Super Bowl XXXI. They lost to the Green Bay Packers.

The Patriots released Conrad in August 1997.

New York Jets

Conrad signed with the New York Jets in September 1997. This was his second year playing for coach Bill Parcells. The Jets moved Conrad back to center. He had not played center since his freshman year in college.

The Jets' starting center got hurt. Conrad was told he would start the next game. However, the team did not tell the league about the injury. This caused a problem when Conrad started. The game was difficult for Conrad, and the Jets lost. He made only one start in 1997. He played in twelve games overall.

Conrad hurt his back before the 1998 season. The Jets released him in August 1998.

Time Away and Comeback

After his back injury, Conrad had surgery in 1999. He took 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 two years. He had also gained some weight.

Dallas Cowboys

Conrad accepted the Cowboys' offer. He signed with them on August 1, 2000. But he was released just twenty days later. Even though he was cut, playing with NFL stars like Larry Allen changed his outlook. He felt happy about football again.

Coaching Career

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. In 2005, the team had a good season. They made it to the playoffs.

The Dawgz continued to do well in 2006 and 2007. They made the playoffs two more times. The 2008 season was not as good. The team missed the playoffs. 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 in April 2014. He wanted to spend more time helping his own children with their sports.

Trench Mafia

Conrad started his own training academy for offensive linemen. It is called Trench Mafia. The program is free, but players must be invited to join. It has helped many players, including Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Creed Humphrey.

Personal Life

J. R. Conrad married Keisha Conrad in June 1997. They live in Mustang, Oklahoma. They have four children: Hayden, Hudson, Henley, and Holden. Hayden plays 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.