Team Headstrong
Elite athletes who build their daily routine around brain-first performance and recovery.
Football
Brandon Johnson
Brandon Johnson is a wide receiver who made his mark in the NFL with the Denver Broncos. A product of the University of Tennessee and UCF, Johnson became a fan favorite in Denver for his physicality, blocking ability, and big-play capability, including a memorable 50-yard Hail Mary touchdown catch in 2023. Known for his toughness and relentless work ethic, Johnson is a Headstrong athlete who takes his brain health and daily recovery as seriously as his performance on the field.
Carson Steele
Carson Steele is a running back and fullback currently with the Kansas City Chiefs. An undrafted free agent out of UCLA in 2024, Steele earned his way onto the Kansas City Chiefs' 53-man roster through relentless effort and standout preseason performances. He suited up for all 17 games in his rookie season, becoming a fan favorite for his physical running style and versatility on special teams. Steele is a Headstrong athlete who builds his daily routine around brain-first performance and recovery. The same standard he brings to every game.
Jayden George
Jayden George is a quarterback at Ave Maria University with one of the most well-traveled college football journeys in the game. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, George began his career at Alabama before spending time at Bowling Green, Miami, and Florida Atlantic before landing at Ave Maria. A 6-foot-3 signal caller with experience in some of the most competitive programs in college football, George brings a relentless mentality and a commitment to continuous improvement that defines everything he does. He is a Headstrong athlete who understands that long-term performance starts with taking care of your brain every single day.
Kimo Makane'ole
Kimo Makane'ole is an offensive lineman for the West Virginia Mountaineers, born in Niceville, Florida with Samoan roots he carries with pride. A four-star recruit out of high school, he spent four seasons at LSU playing on both sides of the ball before transferring to West Virginia for his final season. At 6-foot-4 and 297 pounds, Kimo brings rare athleticism and versatility to the trenches. He arrived in Morgantown ready to compete, crediting the program's culture and the strength staff for helping him prepare mentally and physically for every practice and every game. He is a Headstrong athlete who builds his daily routine around taking care of his body and his brain with the same intensity he brings to the line of scrimmage.
Hockey
Jaxson Stauber
Jaxson Stauber is a goaltender for the Utah Mammoth, born in Wayzata, Minnesota into a hockey family. His father Robb played in the NHL and coached the US Women's National Team to a gold medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Jaxson played two seasons at Providence College before turning professional. In his first game with Utah in November 2024, he stopped all 29 shots he faced in a 6-0 shutout win over the Vegas Golden Knights, the first shutout in franchise history and the biggest home loss Vegas had ever suffered. He signed a two-year contract extension with Utah in 2025 and is a Headstrong athlete who treats his daily brain health routine with the same preparation he brings to every start.
Julia Gosling
Julia Gosling is a forward for the Seattle Torrent and a member of the Canadian Olympic Women's Hockey Team. Born in London, Ontario, Gosling was a four-year star at St. Lawrence University where she served as team captain and recorded 128 points in 111 games. Selected seventh overall by Seattle in the 2025 PWHL Expansion Draft, she scored the first goal in Torrent franchise history in the team's inaugural game. A two-time World Championship medalist with Team Canada and a 2026 Olympic gold medalist, Gosling is one of the most exciting young forwards in women's hockey and a Headstrong athlete who builds her routine around brain-first performance every day.
Louis Crevier
Louis Crevier is a defenseman for the Chicago Blackhawks, one of the most physically imposing players in the NHL at 6ft 8in and 228 lbs. Born in Quebec City, Crevier was selected by Chicago in the seventh round of the 2020 NHL Draft and worked his way up through the AHL before earning a full-time NHL role. Known for his thunderous shot, which regularly clocks over 100 mph, his physical defensive play, and his ability to block shots, Crevier has become a quietly essential piece of Chicago's rebuilding core. He is a Headstrong athlete who takes his daily routine as seriously as his game.
Mackie Samoskevich
Mackie Samoskevich is a forward for the Florida Panthers, selected 24th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft out of the University of Michigan. A Stanley Cup champion in 2025, Samoskevich has developed into a dependable bottom-six contributor known for his high shot volume, physical play, and relentless work ethic. Born in Newtown, Connecticut, he plays with the kind of intensity that earned him a full-time NHL role and a place on Team Headstrong.
Madison Samoskevich
Madison Samoskevich is a forward and defenseman for the Vancouver Goldeneyes of the Professional Women's Hockey League. Born in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, she is the twin sister of Florida Panthers forward Mackie Samoskevich, making them the first pair of twins to play simultaneously in both the NHL and PWHL. Madison played four seasons at Quinnipiac University before being drafted 39th overall by Vancouver in the 2025 PWHL Draft. She signed with the Goldeneyes for their historic inaugural season and brings elite versatility, hockey IQ and a compete level shaped by a lifetime of competing alongside some of the best players in the world.
Matt Stienburg
Matt Stienburg is a center for the Colorado Eagles, the AHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche. Selected by Colorado in the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft, Stienburg played at Cornell University where he served as alternate captain and posted 20 goals and 26 assists in 73 career games. He made his NHL debut with the Avalanche in 2024, bringing the physical, high-compete game that has defined his career at every level. Known for his tenacity, physicality and willingness to do whatever it takes for his team, Stienburg is a Headstrong athlete who understands that protecting your brain and building a smart daily routine is part of competing at the highest level of the sport.
Max Sasson
Max Sasson is a forward for the Vancouver Canucks, signed as an undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan University in 2023. Born in Birmingham, Michigan, Sasson worked his way through the AHL with the Abbotsford Canucks, winning the Calder Cup in 2025, before earning a full-time NHL role in Vancouver. Known for his speed, defensive responsibility and relentless work ethic, he signed a two-year contract extension with the Canucks in December 2025. Sasson is a Headstrong athlete who takes his daily preparation as seriously as his game.
Megan Carter
Megan Carter is a defenseman for the Seattle Torrent of the Professional Women's Hockey League. Born in Milton, Ontario, Carter was a two-time Hockey East Defender of the Year at Northeastern University before turning professional. Drafted by PWHL Seattle in the 2025 expansion draft, she scored the first goal ever recorded by a Torrent defender and was part of the historic home opener that set the U.S. attendance record for a women's hockey game. Carter plays with the poise and physicality of one of the best young defenders in the PWHL.
Sophie Shirley
Sophie Shirley is a forward for the Boston Fleet of the Professional Women's Hockey League. Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Shirley has been a member of the Fleet since the league's inaugural season and scored Boston's first ever PWHL goal. A two-time PWHL playoff contributor and Canadian national team representative, she plays with the physicality and consistency of an athlete who has competed at the highest level her entire career. Shirley is a Headstrong athlete who takes her daily preparation as seriously as her game.
Taylor Girard
Taylor Girard is a forward for the New York Sirens of the Professional Women's Hockey League. Born in Macomb, Michigan, Girard was the first overall pick in the 2021 NWHL Draft after a standout collegiate career at Lindenwood and Quinnipiac universities. She made PWHL history on November 22, 2025, recording a natural hat trick in a single period against Ottawa, only the second natural hat trick in league history and the first scored in a single period. Known for her scoring instincts, speed and compete level, Girard is a Headstrong athlete who takes her daily preparation as seriously as her performance on the ice.
Tereza Vanisova
Tereza Vanisova is a forward for the Vancouver Goldeneyes of the Professional Women's Hockey League and a two-time Olympian representing Czechia. Born in Strakonice, Czech Republic, she holds the all-time career scoring record at the University of Maine and won three professional championships before joining the PWHL. In 2024-25 she tied for second in the entire league with 15 goals and made history as a participant in the first fight in PWHL history. Known for her speed, physicality and scoring touch, Vanisova is one of the most experienced and decorated players in women's hockey today and a Headstrong athlete who competes at the highest level every shift.
Zack Bolduc
Zack Bolduc is a forward for the Montreal Canadiens, selected 17th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2021 NHL Draft. Born in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Bolduc won the QMJHL Memorial Cup in 2023 before earning a full-time NHL roster spot with St. Louis in 2024-25. He finished his rookie season as one of the best defensive forwards in the league with a plus-20 rating, leading all rookies. Traded to Montreal in the summer of 2025, Bolduc is one of the most promising young forwards in the NHL and a Headstrong athlete who brings the same discipline to his daily routine that he brings to every shift.