Coaching Staff
core coaching staff
CJ “The Coach” Dodd
Creator of Grit Sports, Coach Rah brings over a decade of semi-professional knowledge to programs. Rah institutes strength & conditioning concepts acquired through training prominent athletes like Priest Holmes, Andre Ward, Aaron Green, Carl Whitley, Cyril Richardson & others. Rah has been tasked with managing operations within the sport industry with inside knowledge of performance training, player scouting, athlete recruitment, sport officiating, business & game operations.
Coach Rah brings years of leadership skills attained from Alamo Colleges Student Leadership Institute & Texas A&M University-San Antonio Jaguar Ambassador programs. His career spans All Sports Speed & Conditioning (All), TAMUSA (Basketball), University of Texas at San Antonio (Football), University of the Incarnate Word (All), San Antonio Commanders, Sacramento River Cats, San Antonio Missions & Modesto Nuts Baseball Clubs. His passion & leadership skills are directly related to student-athletes transition from amateur to professional athletes. These concepts are designed to expand campers understanding of building personal brands through marketing, self-awareness & leadership skills.
University of San Francisco: Sport Management (Master’s)
Texas A&M University-San Antonio: Sociology w/ Coaching (BA: Summa Cum Laude)
Kwame Cavil
Kwame was recently appointed Director of Football Operations for Grit Football.
Kwame Cavil is a former gridiron football wide receiver from the University of Texas at Austin. He played college football from 1997 to 1999. In 1999, he set a school single-season record by recording 100 receptions. After spending three years at Texas and earning First-Team All-Big 12 Honors as a Junior, Kwame joined the NFL with the Buffalo Bills, then played with the NFL Europe division for the Scotland Claymores and the Berlin Thunder where won the World Bowl in 2001.
Kwame then spent the next five years in the CFL, where he was an CFL East All-Star in 2004 and a Grey Cup Champion in 2002 and 2005. He retired after the 2006 season.
Kwame has his Bachelor’s degree in Education with a minor in Sociology from the University of Texas. For 11 plus years, Kwame has graced his teaching and elite coaching skills with schools such as, Manor High School, St. Micheal’s Episcopal School, St. Stephens Episcopal School, Temple High School, LBJ High School as Special Teams Coordinator, Offensive Coordinator, Passing Game Coordinator, Interim Head Track Coach, Junior Varsity soccer team, Varsity Wide Receivers coach, before accepting the Head Football Coach/ Athletic Coordinator position at his Alma Mater, Waco High School, then retired in 2020.
The former, “Longhorn Legend”, is currently a Teacher in Round Rock ISD. Kwame is a highly sought after powerful and persuasive motivation speaker. He is also the CEO of Cloud 9, CEO and Head Trainer of KC Training, COO of Ohana Management Group, an Author and a personal trainer at the Round Rock Sports Center . Kwame is the proud father of four beautiful children, Skylar (19), KJ (15), and Kylie (11) and Sakia (4).
Rodrick Walker
Bio Coming Soon
John “JP” Peterson
SHOWCASE COACH
JP currently works as USFL - Director of Football Operations, NFLPA Collegiate Bowl - Regional Scout totaling for 44 years in football. JP has spent 18 years coaching football, and 26 years in professional football as a General Manager, Player Personnel Director, and Area Scout In June 2016, he retired from the NFL with 19 years of service, 11 with the Seattle Seahawks, 8 years with the Carolina Panthers, and was the 2010 C.O. Bracato NFL scout of the year. During this time, JP went to Super Bowl XL with the Seahawks & Super Bowl L with the Panthers.
*All-American Ben Rios of Central Catholic High School in photo
Alvin Anassi (55)
Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Anassi had high academic aspirations from a young age. He attended Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology for Mechanical Engineering, where he also played football and was a sportswriter for the university’s paper “The Thorn”.
As injuries accumulated, coach started to implement his career goals with more ferocity. After college, he would aim to diversify his skillset and went to work in the financial sector as an advisor for an industry leading firm, where he continued to educate himself and those around him by instilling processes to ensure stability and success for future generations. His passion for football and other sports never waivered and continued to pull on his heartstrings.
Coach is an avid Steeler fan and a Semi-Pro football coach. He has developed his coaching acumen from his time as a highly touted high school player throughout his NCAA career and is the foundation for his prowess. His Grit and tenacity for life drives his passion and make him invaluable to Grit. The Hill Country is his home, which he shares with his wife of 13 years, and their three children.
Jerry Salazar
A licensed and certified athletic trainer with over 10 years working in D1 collegiate athletics. College degrees in athletic training and kinesiology, he has gained experience providing athletes with knowledge in sport injury, recovery, nutrition, psychology, spirituality and strength and conditioning. Skilled in various therapy skills such as graston, kinesiotape, cupping, dry needling & bloodflow restriction.
guest coaches
Robert Morris
Robert Morris played football and baseball at University Colorado. He earned a BS in Education in 1977, and MS in Sports Psychology in 1983. Coach Morris has been a college football coach for 21 years with stops at Northern Illinois (NIU) 4 years, Indiana University (IU) 10 years, Purdue University 3 years, and Akron 4 years. Coach Morris has also been an NFL college scout for 15 years. 8 years with the Cleveland Browns and the last 7 years with the San Francisco 49ers. Bob is currently the General Manager of the USFL’s Houston Gamblers.
James Harden
James Harden is a professional football player from the Dallas, Texas area. He plays everything from slot receiver to defensive back and as a current free agent to all CFL and NFL teams all he wants is one opportunity to prove that he can play at the highest professional stage.
He has played for a number of different semi-pro teams including the Texas Power, North Texas Savages, Texas Revolution, Cedar Rapids River Kings and most recently the teams in the Fan Controlled Football League. Although he has played almost every position on the football field in those opportunities he has had, he believes he has a lot more left in the tank. “I am a player that brings a lot of positive energy. I have a great work ethic and really I play with a lot of passion…”
Dewayne Autry II
Bio Coming Soon
Guest Speakers
Darnell Smith
Darnell Smith is the inaugural director of intercollegiate athletics and recreational sports programs for Texas A&M University-San Antonio. Darnell returns to San Antonio bringing with him over 15 years of experience in strategy, compliance, equity and inclusivity as well as a deep understanding of the student-athlete experience. Darnell attended San Antonio’s Taft High School, where he earned all-district and co-Defensive Most Valuable Player honors, playing for former coach Lee Bridges. His senior team was runner-up in Texas Class 5A in 2001.
PAUL KNOX
Paul Is no stranger to adversity. He experienced many challenges growing up on the south side of Chicago including struggles academically, fights and exposure to drugs and gang violence.
Paul was able to transition from what felt like a hopeless situation to becoming a powerful speaker and a beacon of light to anybody who has ever felt overlooked, undervalued and insignificant. Paul is a dynamic speaker who has made a commitment to empowering the next generation to become the best version of themselves through exposure to the principles, lessons and experiences that are critical to success not only in the classroom but in life.
