Lloyd High School football star Charles Johnson, who played several seasons in the National Football League, is now in business in Northern Kentucky.
He opened a D1 Training franchise in Hebron (1952 North Bend Rd.).
The group fitness facility employs a sports-science backed training regimen led by certified trainers to help people of all ages achieve their sport and fitness goals, an announcement said.
Johnson was a standout wide receiver at Lloyd, where he earned all-state and all-conference honors, before playing college ball at Eastern Kentucky and Grand Valley State.
He was selected in the seventh round of the 2013 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers
Johnson wanted to help kids and adults reach their fitness and athletic goals after retiring from the NFL. Eager to serve his community, Johnson hopes this D1 location becomes a safe place for kids to grow on and off the field. He intends to make sure training is accessible to everyone interested in getting better, an announcement said.
“I trained at D1 in 2013 for the NFL Combine and now after retiring from the NFL, I’m back at D1 and get that same locker room feeling that I was missing since departing the league,” said Johnson. “I grew up in Northern Kentucky, this is my community, and I want to provide just an ounce of hope and opportunity to help others strive for more. I want to be a bit of light for the kids in my community, proof that they can keep going and achieve their wildest dreams. This location will be a hub for kids in the northern Kentucky community to grow and feel supported, something some kids never get to experience here.”
D1 Hebron offers five age-based programs including Rookie (ages 7-11), Developmental (ages 12-14), Prep (ages 15-18) and D1 Adult. Each fitness program is based on the five athletic-based tenets: dynamic warm-up, performance, strength program, core and conditioning, and cool down. Outside of group workouts, D1 Training offers one-on-one training.
“Charles Johnson is the ideal candidate to bring the D1 Training experience to Hebron,” said D1 Chief Operating Officer Dan Murphy. “We’re thrilled to welcome him to the D1 family and are confident in his ability to show the Northern Kentucky area what they’ve been missing out on. D1 is a one-of-a-kind fitness experience that’s built around the individual and meant to help people meet their appropriate edge. Our strong network of franchisees embodies our core values to bring the D1 Training vision to life, and we know Johnson will do just that in Hebron and its surrounding communities.”
D1 Training has more than 60 performance centers open with over 120 additional locations in development.
-Staff report