CANTON, Ohio–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company (“HOFV” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: HOFV, HOFVW), the only resort, entertainment and media company centered around the power of professional football and owner of the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls in Canton, Ohio, today announced that Chip Smith, one of the foremost speed, strength and sports performance experts in the United States, has been named the official performance coach for the NFL Alumni Academy. Mr. Smith is the creator of the innovative MORR (an acronym for Movement, Overspeed, Resistance and Reaction) Sports Performance Training System, which is designed to maximize individual results for each athlete by isolating sports-specific and position-specific movements with the goal of increasing an athlete’s speed, flexibility, efficiency and explosive power in that movement.

Mr. Smith stated, “I am honored to join the HOFV family and be part of the inaugural NFL Alumni Academy, where our goal will be to continue to develop talent for the National Football League. My passion is to help young men and women reach their dreams and aspirations and provide coaching insight to young minority coaches who dream of one-day coaching in the NFL or other professional sports leagues.”

Mr. Smith has trained more than 200 current NFL players, over 2,000 former NFL players, 60 Pro Bowlers, 40 first round NFL draft picks and four Heisman Trophy winners using the proprietary MORR Sports Performance Training System. Among his portfolio of professional football clients include Pro Football Hall of Famers Brian Urlacher, Champ Bailey and Rodney Harrison, New England Patriots Hall of Famer Richard Seymour, four-time First-Team All-Pro defensive lineman Jared Allen, and former cornerback Asante Samuel. He also trains the Olympic gold medal winning and world champion women’s gymnastics and women’s volleyball teams, Mark Price, a four time NBA all-star and Olympic Dream Team member, and Kylie Bivens, a member of the U.S. women’s national soccer team Member.

Michael Crawford, President and CEO of HOFV, stated, “When envisioning the NFL Alumni Academy program, we knew we needed the best possible sports performance coach around, and that was Chip Smith. Like we at HOFV are elevating the fan experience and building something special, Chip is helping many of the country’s most well-known athletes achieve greatness and win championships through the MORR Training System. What’s more, his resume is unparalleled in developing NFL talent and keeping them on the field, as the careers of the players he trains average more than eight years. With him on board, we look forward to many of our participants going on and enjoying successful careers at the next level.”

Prominent former NFL players reflected on Mr. Smith’s impact on their careers:

• Former Chicago Bears linebacker and 2018 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Brian Urlacher: “Chip Smith has been family to me my entire career. He has been my guy since I came into the league, and his system is the best.”

• Jared Allen, who retired in 2016 after a 12-year career in the NFL, finishing tied for 12 on the all-time sack list: “Chip Smith was my trainer and is family for me. His MORR System was critical in helping me make the jump from Idaho State to the NFL and it simply got me the results I wanted. Chip is the man.”

• Champ Bailey, one of the greatest NFL cornerbacks of all time and 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee: “Chip has been my guy since I came into the league – and I played 15 seasons! He is like family to me!”

About Chip Smith

Chip does combine preparation for scores of players selected each year in the NFL Draft. Chip also worked with 14 Chinese Olympic Teams in Beijing where he trained 41 Olympic medalists including 21 Gold medalists from the 2008 summer Olympic games and 20 Gold medalists from the 2012 London Olympic games. Chip holds a BS in physical education from Liberty University. He did post-graduate work in speed and strength at the world-renowned Soviet Sports Institute in Moscow. He holds a masters of sports science certification from ISSA. Other certifications include exercise specialist from Cooper’s Aerobic Institute. Chip also holds a Master’s of Sports Performance certification from MORR. Chip was inducted into Liberty University Sports Hall of Fame in 2010. Chip has written and developed a master’s program in Human Performance at Liberty University.

About the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company

The Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company (NASDAQ: HOFV, HOFVW) is a resort and entertainment company leveraging the power and popularity of professional football and its legendary players in partnership with the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Headquartered in Canton, Ohio, the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company is the owner of the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls, a multi-use sports, entertainment and media destination centered around the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s campus. Additional information on the Company can be found at www.HOFREco.com.

About the NFL Alumni Association

The NFL Alumni Association is a nationwide group of former National Football League players, coaches and other employees whose mission is to serve, assist and inform former players and their families. The association offers a variety of medical, financial and social programs to help members lead healthy, productive and connected lives, as well as community initiatives under the NFL Alumni’s “Caring for Kids” programs. The NFL Alumni Association hosts the Player Development Program each football season at the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls in Canton, Ohio. The Player Development Program provides a pathway for the top graded players that were released from NFL training camps to return to the NFL by giving them the opportunity to further develop their skills and realize their potential by training under the tutelage of elite former NFL coaches, players and performance coaches.

About WaV Sports and Entertainment LLC

WaV Sports & Entertainment is a global sports marketing firm that specializes in sports property representation, brand side representation, and the management and production of unique sporting and entertainment events. WaV exclusively represents the NFL Alumni Academy and various other NFL Alumni projects such as their youth educational programming known as Pro Day Experience. Additional information on the Company can be found at www.WaVsports.com