Baylor's competitive edge may come from unique strength and conditioning coach

All the buzz today in the sports section of The Baylor Lariat surrounded Kaz Kazadi, Baylor’s assistant athletic director for athletic performance. His name may not be one that rings in your ears like Art Briles’ or Phil Bennett’s, but his contributions are equally essential.

Today, Kazadi’s intensity and training techniques helped him become dubbed “Baylor football’s secret weapon” by The Baylor Lariat.

Kazadi knows how to train the body. He is smart in the approaches he takes and knows what the body responds to.

“If you’re playing on Saturdays, we are going to go ahead and have a great lift day on Sundays because you are already sore and it helps lubricate the joints and it helps flush out a lot of the lactic acid and toxins that they got from competing at a high level,” Kaz said to The Baylor Lariat.

No doubt much of his knowledge comes from his experience in the NFL. Kazadi played professional football after being drafted in the 6th round by the St. Louis Rams and later went on to spend two seasons as the assistant strength coach for the Kansas City Chiefs.

No wonder so many of his recent Baylor trainees have gone on to be successful NFL players.

What is magnificent about Kazadi is the way he looks at an individual. Kazadi’s strength and conditioning program not only focuses on building the body of an individual capable of overcoming intense pressure, it also focuses on the mental ability of his players.

When reflecting on the beginning of his time at Baylor, this is what Kazadi had to say to The Baylor Lariat:

“In 2008, I think we just had to help with an overhaul of the culture, and you just start with the basics. Teaching guys a work ethic and how to embrace working at a high level and then just remove some of that doubt.”

Even Kazadi’s staff profile on the Baylor website portrays this view.

“Encouraging student athletes to be mentally tough, emotionally stable, and disciplined in all aspects of their life is every bit as important to Kazadi’s program as getting them physically strong or fast.”

Kazadi knows this game well and he knows what makes good players, both mentally and physically. Kazadi brings a special aura to the Baylor football team, and with his continual motivation, intensity, and overall care for his players, Baylor should be able to stand strong against the competition it is set to meet this season.