Running the show
Casual college football fans may recognize Aaron Feld, the strength and conditioning coordinator for the University of Oregon football program.
During an Oregon game, he can be seen on the sidelines with energy to spare and a mustache that elicits jealousy from many.
“It’s glorious, if I do say so myself,” Feld said.
What the average fan likely doesn’t realize is Feld is a native of Homewood. Feld was part of back-to-back state championship teams at Homewood in 2004 and 2005 before going on to play college ball at Mississippi State.
After spending three seasons as an assistant director of strength and conditioning at Georgia, the opportunity arose for Feld to run his own program at Oregon for first-year head coach Mario Cristobal. Feld got to know Cristobal during their shared time at Alabama, when Feld was a volunteer strength coach in 2013 and 2014. Feld must have made a solid impression.
“It’s a huge opportunity,” said Feld, in his first season at Oregon. “It’s an honor to have a guy like Coach Cristobal believe in me and give me the opportunity to direct the strength and conditioning program.”
After Feld’s five years in Starkville, he was picked up by the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was cut just a week later and left wondering what was next.
“I had played football for 17 years, now what?” Feld recalled thinking.
Initially, he considered entering the world of construction, but following football, the “thought of pouring concrete was the most terrifying thing.” So he took a job as a fitness trainer at Gold’s Gym in Pelham. Just 10 months later, he found his passion working in strength and conditioning.
When the football coaching staff turned over at UAB in 2012, Feld applied for an opening on the strength and conditioning staff. For two years, he headed the strength program for the women’s basketball team and assisted with the football team for Dwayne Chandler. But in the middle of the 2013 football season, Feld took a phone call that would help him take his career to the next level.
Scott Cochran, the head strength and conditioning coach at Alabama and widely considered to be one of the best in the country, called Feld and offered him a spot on the staff in Tuscaloosa.
“I’m literally thinking this is my brother pulling my leg,” Feld said. “As he starts talking, I really did recognize his voice.”
Feld’s wife Brittany (also a Homewood native) convinced him to take the leap of faith and head to Alabama, even if it meant leaving his full-time gig at UAB for a volunteer position at Alabama.
The rest is history. He was at Alabama for nine months, at North Alabama for three months and at Georgia for three years before the opportunity to run his own strength program at Oregon.
He credits a great deal of his success to Bob Newton and Dickey Wright, Homewood’s head coach and defensive coordinator, respectively, during his days as a defensive end for the Patriots. During Feld’s four years, Homewood compiled a record of 55-4 and won three state titles.
“I’m just excited to represent Homewood and to represent our community,” Feld said. “There’s guys that came before that I looked up to that have gone on to do great things. … I hope I can be that for future football players.”
As for the mustache, Feld said “growing it out was a pain.”
“My wife hates it,” he said, with a laugh. “But she taught me how to use the blow-dryer, and it puts it in shape in two minutes. If it was too much work, I wouldn’t do it.”