Ignition Athlete Josh Harrison called up to Pirates

Josh Harrison is a former baseball standout at Princeton High School and University of Cincinnati. Over Memorial Day weekend, Harrison was called up to make his MLB debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates in their game Monday night vs. the Mets.
In 2008, Harrison was originally drafted by the Chicago Cubs with the 191st pick. He was later traded to the Pirates the next year. Harrison was featured in an article on cincinnati.com:

Harrison, 23, set the tone for what would become an illustrious college and minor-league career during his senior year at Princeton High School.

During the 2005 campaign, Harrison led the Vikings with a .448 average, to go along with 15 doubles and 23 RBIs.

He earned his ticket to the “The Show” after ranking fifth in the International League with a .321 average to go along with eight doubles, two triples, two home runs, 11 RBIs in 37 games this year.

Since his minor-league career began in 2008, the infielder has hit .307 to go along with 84 doubles, 14 home runs, 170 RBIs and 75 stolen bases.

The Chicago Cubs drafted Harrison in the sixth round with the 191st pick in 2008. He was traded to the Pirates, along with Kevin Hart and Jose Ascanio in exchange for John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny on July 30, 2009. 

While at UC (2006-2008), Harrison dominated Big East pitching.

He ended his collegiate career ranked among the top 10 in batting (4th, 358), runs (3rd, 192),  hits (4th, 246), RBIs (5, 153), total bases (5th, 366), and stolen bases (2nd, 63).

In his final season at UC, the 5-foot-8 righthander helped lead the Bearcats to a school-record 39 wins. He was named Big East co-Player of the Year after batting .378 with 90 hits and 22 doubles during the 2008 campaign.

Gannett News Service contributed to this report

Congratulations to Josh and good luck in the big leagues!

Ignition Lockout Training Days 1-72

Who knew the NFL Lockout would last this long? Ignition APG has had 23 NFL athletes training with us during the lockout. We've started a video series to track what the guys are up to while training at Ignition each day of the lockout. There will be a new quick video for each day the guys are in the gym with us. Here are the first 3 videos of the series:

A VERY quick look at Days 1-70

Lifting on Day 71

Boxing on Day 72

REY MAUALUGA LIFTS OFF

Even though there’s been a long work stoppage in the NFL, that hasn’t stopped Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga from maximizing his workouts.

Maualuga has been training at Ignition Athletic Performance Group in Mason, Ohio, and according to company Performance Director Clif Marshall the third-year Cincinnati player from Southern Cal bench-pressed a personal-best 405 pounds recently.

Marshall noted the achievement on Twitter, one of the few times athletes have used the social networking site to report good news. Maualuga’s feat also has been a hit on YouTube, and Bengals fans everywhere can get a glimpse of the team camaraderie while they’re working out.

With several teammates cheering him on in the background and offensive guard Bobbie Williams spotting him, Maualuga was set. Defensive tackle Domata Peko had a side view, as Maualuga thrust the bar to the sky. He held it for just an instant, but that was enough to trigger an eruption, as those in attendance charged the bench to congratulate Maualuga.

Along with Maualuga, Williams and Peko, other Bengals players at Ignition included defensive tackle Tank Johnson, wide receiver Jerome Simpson, defensive end Frostee Rucker, offensive guard Otis Hudson, cornerback Adam “PacMan” Jones and cornerback Rico Murray.

This group, a mixture of veterans and young players, on both offense and defense, can only be beneficial to the Bengals as they attempt to turn things around after a dismal 4-12 2010 season.

Article Published By Dale Grdnic
FNN Staff Writer
May 17, 2011

Ignition Athlete, Devin McCourty, on the May Cover of Eastbay

Devin McCourty who trained at Ignition in 2010 for the NFL Combine with Performance Director Clif Marshall is on the cover of this months edition of Eastbay. McCourty had a phenomenal year as a rookie after being drafted in the 1st Round by the New England Patriots. In his first year as a pro, he started at cornerback and made the Pro Bowl. The honor to be on the front cover of Eastbay is well deserved for McCourty.

UC Bearcat NFL Draft Picks at Ignition

"Jason Kelce’s combine workout was remarkable and he was in the top five of almost every category,” ESPN Draft Guru Todd McShay


Ignition APG and the UC Bearcat Football Program has worked hand and hand since 2007 producing a draft pick from the University in each of the last five years. We have been fortunate to work with the following athletes from UC:

John Bowie in 2007 (3RD RD)

Haruki Nakamura in 2008 (6TH RD)

Connor Barwin in 2009 (2ND RD)

Mike Mickens in 2009 (7TH RD)

Mardy Gilyard in 2010 (4TH RD)

Ricardo Matthews in 2010 (7TH RD)

Jason Kelce in 2011 (6TH RD)

Ignition Announces 2011 NFL Draft Class

Ignition congratulates each of our 8 NFL Draft Picks in 2011. We are excited about your future in the National Football League..

Johnny Patrick> Saints (Louisville)
Sam Acho> Cardinals (Texas)
Edmond Gates> Dolphins (Abilene Christian)
Charles Clay> Dolphins (Tulsa)
Aldrick Robinson – Redskins (Southern Methodist)
Jason Kelce – Eagles (Cincinnati)
Anthony Gaitor – Bucs (Florida International)
Nate Bussey – Saints (Illinois)