San Francisco 49ers Elite Performance Director Fergus Connolly has already enjoyed a storied career, working with Dublin GAA, Munster and Liverpool.
The Monaghan native is one of the highest regarded fitness experts in sport and has worked as a consultant with some of the biggest teams in the world.
Connolly moved to America following Dublin’s 2013 All Ireland triumph to join one of the NFL’s most storied franchises.
"My first opportunity came with Bolton Wanderers back in the Sam Allardyce days," he explained.
"Barcelona for example...their team on average will run a kilometre less that the opposition because they play the game better."
"From there I was with Welsh Rugby for three or four years, I was with other teams like Liverpool.
"I got an opportunity to work with Munster which was a good experience but that was the only experience back home, everything else has been abroad.
"Then I was consulting with teams over here in the States like the Atlanta Falcons, the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns and now the 49ers."
Connolly also spent time with the Dublin GAA, working with Jim Gavin, and it’s a period that he looks back fondly on.
"It was a great experience, working with Jim. It was great to start at the beginning of that program because it was an opportunity to lay down the principles of play and to get a system in place on and off the field.
"It was a wonderful experience with wonderful people and it's great to see them do so well this year as well."
With all the talk about burnout among GAA players and the topic of over training becoming an increasingly important one, Connolly believes that there is a case to be made for less training and more focus on the fundamentals of the game.
"If you’re not enjoying the game, then maybe it’s a case that there is too much training going on," he said.
"If you look at the best coaches, the most successful coaches, the best teams, they play the game, so it’s not a fitness perspective. They’re not worried about putting an overemphasis on conditioning.
"The best teams play the best football and that’s what it’s about.
"I think there’s always bad training, there’s always poor training by from my experience in every sport, you must be able to play the game. Sometimes when you watch the game, you attribute poor play to poor fitness elements, when it’s not fitness – it’s not being able to play the game well.
"Barcelona for example, I remember a few yews ago speaking to some of their people and their team on average will run a kilometre less that the opposition because they play the game better."
The former Scotstown footballer admits that his current job within the NFL is unlike anything he's done before but insists that the basics of sports are the same no matter when you go.
"It’s very different, it’s very different to all the other sports - rugby, soccer, AFL even. Culturally you’re dealing with a very different athlete, a completely different mindset and of course the opportunities such as Superbowl are incredible.
"I suppose my job comes down to three things - improving performance, reducing injury and improving decision making for the coaches and the staff.
"Preventing injury and improving performance are pretty much one and the same thing. You've got a million dollar athlete and you've got to make sure that on the day it matters, they've got to produce their best."
Connolly still has a couple of unfulfilled ambitions that he wants to tick off the list, but he is enjoying his time with the 49ers and admits that he doesn't really consider it 'work'.
"There are one or two things that I will look to do. To me it’s about enjoyment, it’s not really work to be honest. I think the last work I had was in St Pat’s in Navan teaching.
"It’s been a good journey, it’s been an enjoyable journey. I love what I do and I’m very fortunate in that regard.
"It’s about helping people improve, helping people get better and helping people do what they want to do, that’s really what it’s about."
