Michael Atunrase is a former professional football player, elite performance coach, sports media personality, and dedicated community leader. A standout at The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey, he was honored with the Tom Dickens Award in 2006 for his athletic leadership, a recognition of his impact on and off the field. He went on to play at the University of Delaware, where he became an All-American and led his teams to two National Championship appearances. His success propelled him to the NFL, where he played two seasons with the San Diego Chargers and Cleveland Browns, before continuing his professional career in the Arena Football League for three seasons.

Beyond his playing career, Michael has made a significant impact in the fitness, sports performance, and health industries—both as a coach and an administrator. Michael has trained over 100 NFL, MLB, NBA, and Olympic athletes and has helped more than 300 high school athletes earn scholarships to play collegiate sports. His leadership in the fitness industry has included roles as Performance Director at Power Train Sports & Fitness (2015-2017)—where he doubled clientele and increased sales by 25%—and General Manager at ACAC Health & Wellness Clubs. While at ACAC, he developed and launched the company’s first performance training program, and in 2018, his entrepreneurial drive and execution in creating the program earned him the prestigious RFA Award. He managed a staff of 40, led business development and marketing, and built a high-performance training brand while maintaining a personal training roster of over 100 clients.

Michael also brought his deep sports expertise to broadcasting, serving as Co-Host and Sideline Reporter for Blue Hen Gameday on iHeartMedia (2015-2017). In this role, he researched player statistics, injury reports, and behind-the-scenes stories to develop engaging storylines and talking points for live radio and television broadcasts. He interviewed coaches and players, provided in-game commentary, broke sideline injury reports, and helped manage social media content for Blue Hen Radio. His professional and collegiate experience gave viewers and listeners a deeper understanding of game developments.

In 2020, he founded Resilience Fitness & Sports Performance Training to meet the growing demand for expert fitness, health, nutrition, and sports performance coaching. Designed as a virtual and online coaching service, Resilience Training provides customized programming, expert coaching, and a supportive community to help people across the world achieve their fitness, health, and performance goals. Using cutting-edge technology, science-based training modules, and programming, along with psychology-backed coaching methods, Resilience Training has served over 1,200 clients from 8 different countries across the globe. Michael’s heart for service was instilled in him early, growing up as the son of ministers.

This foundation shaped his lifelong commitment to mentoring, community development, and empowering others. He has worked closely with the Special Olympics (Delaware Chapter), Home Front (Trenton, NJ), March of Dimes (Delaware Chapter), People’s Place (a residential alternative to detention), and Delaware Futures in Wilmington, Delaware. His goal was always to use fitness, athletics, and kindness as a catalyst for uplifting people and their communities. Through his work in sports performance training, athlete mentorship, media, and community-driven initiatives, Michael continues to inspire, uplift, and build a legacy of resilience and service—on and off the field.