Tier 1 Football Academy

10/28/2026

People see the numbers. As a coach, I want you to appreciate the work it took to get there. 💯🏈

Help me celebrate Tier 1 athlete Kuhn, McDowell Trojan Football (Jr) Varsity QB!

🔹 2,231 passing yards
🔹 24 passing touchdowns
🔹 66.3% completion rate
🔹 No. 3 on the Pennsylvania passing leaders

Those numbers represent a young man who kept investing in himself. The speed work. The agility work. Developing his athleticism while also continuing to grow his Qb specific skills. Progress takes time, and you have to keep putting in the effort before everyone else sees the results.

Evan, I’m so proud of what you’re accomplishing, but I’m also proud of your perseverance through adversity. The challenges you’ve worked through are part of this achievement, too. Give yourself credit for how far you’ve come but remember that good is never good enough!

At Tier 1, developing the athlete and developing the person go hand in hand. Football gives you opportunities to learn how to respond when things get difficult—and those lessons reach far beyond the field.

Enjoy this moment. You earned it. Then keep building, keep learning, and keep giving your team your best.

🗣 Support this amazing young man and like & share to show Evan some love! 🔥

10/27/2026

🚨 BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO BRENNAN ROTH! 🚨

The General McLane Class of 2027 RB/WR/DB and Tier 1 athlete has earned an offer from Thiel College Football! 🏈

Brennan, I’m proud of you young man. I appreciate your commitment, the work you put into your development, the sacrifices, and your willingness to keep getting better. Being coached means being challenged, making corrections, and putting the effort into the details. That takes discipline.

We take that development seriously.

Our Tier 1 Football Academy IMPACT Development System —Identify, Map, Prescribe, Apply, Compete, Track— gives that hard work direction. We identify each athlete’s needs, build a plan, and work on fundamentals, technique, and football IQ that can carry over to game day. Then we compete, evaluate progress, and keep building.

As coaches, we can teach, challenge, and support. The athlete has to put in the work. Brennan, you deserve to enjoy this moment, and so does everyone who has supported you along the way.

An opportunity to continue your education and play the game you love is something to be proud of. Celebrate it, keep your focus, and keep working. I’m excited to see what you do next! 💪

Train to Compete. Compete to Win.

➡️Tier1FootballAcademy.com

10/22/2026

Due to personal reasons we had to take a break from trainings in order to focus on that.

We are back to the field and working on simplifying our development services to make it easier for athletes and families to know what they need and how it works.

I appreciate everyone who has reached out and provided your support, my family and I truly appreciate it. I am looking forward to continuing to build.

- Coach Zig

10/21/2026

Tier 1 Football Academy trains and develops high-potential football athletes from youth up to the Pro developmental level. Based in Erie, Pa., the academy serves youth, middle school, high school, collegiate, and Pro developmental athletes. The program is built on the premise that not every athlete....

09/30/2026

🏈 Our athletes are expected to keep growing. Their coach should too.

I'm honored to be invited as a Coaching Intern to help evaluate potential Pro players at the UFL Showcase powered by NOBULL in Columbus on October 4, 2026.

The purpose is clear: learn, contribute, and bring those lessons back to the athletes at Tier 1 Football Academy.

Professional development matters because the quality of our coaching shapes the quality of their preparation. Every opportunity to sharpen how I teach, evaluate, and develop players is an investment in the athletes and families who trust me.

Our mission remains the same: make advanced coaching accessible and help athletes prepare for their next opportunity—on and off the field.

I ask our athletes to put in the work. I hold myself to that same standard.

— Coach James Zigler Sr.

📲 Share this milestone and follow Tier 1 Football Academy as we continue building opportunities for our athletes!

09/29/2026

This one means a lot 🙏🏾💪🏾

When Tier 1 Football Academy started, the goal was never to become just another place where athletes came to run drills.

The goal was to create something that actually helps athletes grow — from the first stages of learning the game all the way through high school, college, and beyond.

Now, seeing Tier 1 receive national exposure through such a reputable source like Insider weekly, it's a reminder that we're on the right pathway.

Let's be clear...this recognition belongs to the athletes and families who have trusted the process.

To the parents who bring their kids to training.

To the athletes who show up tired, frustrated, motivated, hungry, and still willing to work.

The young players learning the fundamentals, high school athletes chasing opportunities, and college and pro-developmental athletes trying to make a jump and luve thier dream.

You are the reason Tier 1 is growing!

We are proud of the recognition, but we are even more proud of the work happening when nobody is watching.

The confidence being built from adversity, correction and extra reps that create the moments when the light switches on 💡

That is what Tier 1 is really about.

We are grateful for the national exposure, but our mission stays the same:

Quality coaching, real development, and a pathway system designed to help serious football athletes become better players and better competitors.

Erie roots. Growing reach. Same standard.

🏈 Train2Compete. Compete2Win.

‼️If Tier 1 has impacted your athlete, drop a comment, share this article, or tag someone who should know what we’re building.

While we’re proud of this amazing recognition.

We have a lot more work to do 💯

🖱➡️https://theinsiderweekly.com/tier-1-football-academy-develops-athletes-from-youth-through-pro-developmental-ranks/

Tier 1 Football Academy trains and develops high-potential football athletes from youth up to the Pro developmental level. Based in Erie, Pa., the academy serves youth, middle school, high school, collegiate, and Pro developmental athletes. The program is built on the premise that not every athlete....

09/28/2026

🏈 PARENTS OF ATHLETES AGES 6–16: BUILD THE FOUNDATION. DEVELOP THE COMPETITOR.

You want your athlete to get faster, stronger, and more confident. But more training isn’t automatically better. The right coaching matters.

At Tier 1 Football Academy, our IMPACT Development System starts with identifying where your athlete is—and what they need next.

We consider their age, movement skills, experience, and goals to guide training focused on:

✅ Speed and acceleration
✅ Agility and body control
✅ Strength and explosive power
✅ Football fundamentals
✅ Confidence and understanding the game

Three mistakes to avoid:

❌ Copying workouts designed for older, experienced athletes.
❌ Chasing exhaustion instead of quality movement and ex*****on.
❌ Rushing advanced drills before mastering the fundamentals.

Our purpose goes beyond the next trophy. We want athletes who move well, understand their position, and build skills they can carry into competition as they grow.

Give your athlete a plan with purpose.

📩 Message Tier 1 with your athlete’s age, position, and goals to ask about an evaluation.

Share this with a parent who values development.

09/27/2026

A coach can give an athlete EVERYTHING they have.

Their time.
Their knowledge.
Their energy.
Their belief.
Every opportunity to get better.

But there’s one thing a coach can’t give you…

THE WANT.

We can teach you.
We can push you.
We can correct you.
We can believe in you when you don’t believe in yourself.

But eventually, YOU have to want it.

You have to listen. Take the coaching. Accept the criticism. Put in the work. And make the decision that getting better actually matters to you.

Because no matter how much a coach cares, we can’t want your success more than you do.

Meet your coach halfway.

Be the athlete worth pouring into.