Latest news with #UniqueAcademy
USA Today
3 days ago
- Automotive
- USA Today
WSU Alum Erik Coleman opens up about new Kansas City Chiefs QB Gardner Minshew
This week, Chiefs Wire's Ed Easton Jr. spoke to retired NFL safety Erik Coleman and acclaimed car customizer Will Castro about his new show, Unique Academy. Coleman opens up about the Kansas City Chiefs signing fellow Washington State Cougars alumnus Gardner Minshew. "This was a vision of mine and a dream of mine back in 2009 that I wanted to be able to do a school, a technical school for young kids, and give back," said Castro, "So now that we're able to do it, it just brings a lot of joy." Castro, known for his decades of work customizing cars for stars like LeBron James, DJ Khaled, and Super Bowl champion Victor Cruz, brings his signature blend of hustle, heart, and horsepower to this powerful new format, mentoring the next generation. At the start of the offseason, the Chiefs signed quarterback Gardner Minshew to be Patrick Mahomes's veteran backup. According to Coleman, a fellow Cougar alumnus, the former Washington State standout is a great addition. "He's a true pro, and I'm so proud of Gardner (Minshew) and what he's done in his career. he continues to add value to all the teams he plays for, and he's one of those guys," said Coleman, "Yes, he has his unique personality, but at the end of the day, he keeps football first. He's a guy who learns the game. He's a student of the game, and when called upon, he's ready, and that's what you have to do. You must stay ready, so you don't have to get ready, and Gardner does a great job of that. Whenever he's given those opportunities, he's taking full advantage of them. It makes the defense pay." Acclaimed car customizer and TV personality Will Castro is back with an inspiring new series, Unique Academy, streaming now exclusively on Roku.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Retired DB Erik Coleman praises the impact of former Kansas City Chiefs HC Herm Edwards
This week, Chiefs Wire's Ed Easton Jr. spoke to retired NFL safety Erik Coleman and acclaimed car customizer Will Castro about his new show, Unique Academy, and their NFL coaching influences, including former Kansas City Chiefs head coach Herm Edwards. "I'm going to relate to Bill Parcells, I noticed that even if you have superstars, on an NFL team and Parcells comes into the locker room, those players, no matter what they're young or whatever, they're going to respect Parcells," said Castro, "so at the end of the day, they do respect the struggles that I went through and all the stuff that we had to do to get 'Unique' where it is, so at the end of the day, they respect that, so they listen to what I'm saying." Castro's new Roku show, 'Unique Academy', is a one-of-a-kind automotive training program that puts students on the fast track to success by taking them behind the hood of a celebrity car. "These students were amazing. They listened. They worked very hard. They, I'll be honest with you," said Castro. "One student came late, and he called me, and I told him, Listen, if you're going to be late and you're going to take off on a Saturday, have the respect to text me a day before or two days before, so at least I know that you're being accountable and responsible. We had amazing kids." Former NFL safety Erik Coleman, one of Castro's friends and long-time clients, shared his thoughts on coaching and referred to his former New York Jets head coach, Herm Edwards. "It was awesome playing for Coach Herm (Edwards). He's probably my favorite coach that I played for, and the cool thing about Herm is that it is much like what Will (Castro) is doing with these kids," said Coleman. "He was more excited about developing you as a man than a football player. So, he knew that if you could become a good father, a good husband, a good person in the community, take care of your business, and be accountable, then those are tools that you can use in life. That's something that always stuck out with Coach Herm. It was like, yeah, he wanted me to be a great player, but he was consumed with me being a better man, and that's how we all felt. And you know, someone caring for you and taking interest in you makes you want to run through a wall for him." Coleman played his first two NFL seasons under Edwards before the latter was traded to the Chiefs and became the new head coach for the 2006 season. Coleman believes many of Edwards' traits can be said for Castro during the show. "I can see that in Will, and what he's doing with these kids, he's not easy on them," said Coleman. "He works hard. He expects their hard work, attention to detail, and for them to put in their work, and that's how you develop men. Will is doing a great job of that." Acclaimed car customizer and TV personality Will Castro is back with an inspiring new series, Unique Academy, streaming now exclusively on Roku.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Former DB Erik Coleman weighs in on the pressure Patrick Mahomes faced in Super Bowl LIX
This week, Chiefs Wire's Ed Easton Jr. spoke to retired NFL safety Erik Coleman to discuss his support for Acclaimed car customizer and TV personality Will Castro's new show, Unique Academy, and his thoughts on the Kansas City Chiefs' performance in Super Bowl LIX. "I was not surprised, and I was going with the Eagles because they did a great job dominating the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, offense and defense. You look at them offensively, with the great offensive line, Lane Johnson, and the other players, and they dominate," said Coleman. "They're playing three yards from the line of scrimmage, and say Saquon (Barkley) is not getting hit until he's five yards down the field. If you give a player like Saquon that many opportunities in open space, all it takes is three or four plays, and he will hit you and make some big plays, and he did, and that's what he did all season long." The Eagles' defense pressured Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throughout the game, securing six sacks without employing a blitz. "On the defensive side, that defensive line was playing on the other side of the ball; it was like Patrick Mahomes was on alert the entire game." said Coleman, "You're supposed to be having his eyes down the field, looking at receivers, reading routes, but in the back of his mind, he's worrying about it. I'm going to get hit pretty soon. That's how the Eagles team dominated the whole season. They had some great leaders and finished it on a strong note. So, kudos to the Eagles for what they did; that's how the game is won at the line of scrimmage." Coleman is a proud client of Castro, as the accomplished host reflected on their friendship. "We started doing a lot of the (New York) Jets cars back in, wow, 1988, so long time ago. We used to do everybody's car," Castro said to Easton Jr., "So Eric Coleman, when he got drafted, we did about five cars for him, before he was even married, so I've known Eric for a long time. He's been a great player and a team guy. We did a lot of cars for him as well." Each 30-minute episode follows a group of young students at Unique Academy. They learn hands-on skills like car tinting and detailing while being mentored by Castro and a lineup of high-profile guests from music, sports, and entertainment. The idea is to open doors into the automotive and business industries and keep students focused on building careers, character, and community. Acclaimed car customizer and TV personality Will Castro is back with an inspiring new series, Unique Academy, streaming now exclusively on Roku.
USA Today
6 days ago
- Automotive
- USA Today
Will Castro discusses 'Unique Academy,' famous clients, including ex-Chiefs All-Pro
This week, Chiefs Wire's Ed Easton Jr. spoke to acclaimed car customizer and TV personality Will Castro about his new show, 'Unique Academy,' and the strong bonds he builds with his students and famous sports clientele. "They definitely get excited. They know the history. Many of them (students) know the history of 'Unique' we work with: celebrities, sports, athletes, musicians, producers, and actors. So they know that they're working with high-profile clients. Still, I also told them that they're coming here to be able to talk to them and mentor them and give them their side of the story, because they're from the same cloth that they came from," said Castro, "Many of these guys came from underprivileged homes but were talented. We want to be able to give back this to the kids, a skill, a trade, and not even if they don't go into the automotive space, but at least give them accountability, responsibility, provide them with some guidelines, and how to handle life." Castro, known for his decades of work customizing cars for stars like LeBron James, DJ Khaled, and Super Bowl champion Victor Cruz, brings his signature blend of hustle, heart, and horsepower to this powerful new format, mentoring the next generation. He notably did a special customization years ago for former Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro running back Larry Johnson. "We just finished Larry Johnson's '66 Lincoln Continental from the Kansas City Chiefs," said Castro in a 2008 interview, "We're doing a lot of old-school for ball players. They're getting into them a lot more. I think what's different about them is they know what they want." Former New York Jets safety Erik Coleman, a Castro client, shared his thoughts with Easton Jr. "Will was one of the guys when I got to New York. I was drafted. I remember visiting the facility and seeing this building, which said 'Unique'. It was a Unique Auto Sports," said Coleman, "I asked one of the older guys, I'm like, yo, is that Unique, like the one? And they're like, that's Will Castro. I dropped in there, probably with one of my teammates, and started talking with Will, and immediately started a friendship. It was awesome because he educated you, and you didn't feel like you had to buy a bunch of stuff. He was like, man, whatever you could dream up, we could figure it out for you. So it was, it was really nice." Acclaimed car customizer and TV personality Will Castro is back with an inspiring new series, Unique Academy, streaming now exclusively on Roku.
