Alvin Kamara Trains In Surprising Location Before NFL Training Camp: Colorado Buffaloes Connection?

New Orleans Saints star running back Alvin Kamara, a five-time Pro Bowler, revealed that he spent the summer in Boulder training with new Colorado Buffaloes strength and conditioning coach Andreu Swasey. Kamara has worked with Swasey his entire NFL career.
Nov 10, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) leaves the field after the Saints defeated the Atlanta Falcons at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images
Nov 10, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) leaves the field after the Saints defeated the Atlanta Falcons at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

New Colorado Buffaloes strength and conditioning coach Andreu Swasey has built a lengthy list of endorsements throughout his career, and five-time Pro Bowl running back Alvin Kamara stands as one of his most impressive followers.

Ahead of his ninth season with the New Orleans Saints, the former third-round pick revealed that he spent the summer in Boulder to train with Swasey. Kamara added that he has worked with Swasey throughout his esteemed NFL career.

"I've been in Boulder the whole time, just out there training," Kamara said, per the Saints. "Like I said, working with Swasey, just getting it in. I'm feeling good."

Alvin Kamara Spent Summer Boulder Colorado Buffaloes Connection Training Andreu Swasey New Orleans Saints NFL
Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Swasey spent 15 seasons as the Miami Hurricanes before joining Colorado coach Deion Sanders' staff in January.

"Deion hired Andreu Swasey, and I've been training with him my whole career," Kamara said. "I called him and told him, 'I'm going to Colorado. I don't care about Miami. I'm going where you at.' If he was in Alaska, I would've went."

Kamara was the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2017 and was a second-team All-Pro selection in 2017 and 2020. Still going strong at nearly 30 years old, Kamara owns 6,779 rushing yards, 4,762 receiving yards and 85 offensive touchdowns. Still, Boulder's elevation of 5,430 feet above sea level was an entirely new challenge for the former Tennessee Volunteers star.

"I knew it was real, but I never thought I'd have to deal with it," Kamara said of Boulder's altitude. "I'm like eh, 'This probably isn't that real.' I got out there and I was walking up the steps in the house and I thought something was wrong with me. I thought I almost had to go to the hospital. But it's good. I feel like it has given me something new, something fresh, a different little wrinkle in my training because you can't run away from that elevation. It's been helping me feel like I'm in a different type of shape."

Alvin Kamara Spent Summer Boulder Colorado Buffaloes Connection Training Andreu Swasey New Orleans Saints NFL
Jun 10, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints running back coach Joel Thomas talks to running back Alvin Kamara (41) during minicamp at Ochsner Sports Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

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With Kamara also in Boulder, Swasey led Colorado's summer conditioning program and will continue to play a pivotal role in helping the Buffs prepare mentally and physically for the 2025 season. Colorado will open its preseason training camp on July 28, about one month before its season opener against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

“You know 'Coach Prime,' the one thing he knows we got to do is the discipline," Swasey told CU players last month, per Well Off Media. "That’s all he care about is the discipline. Ya’ll are working. You’re busting you (expletive). We got to turn up on the little (expletive). Make sure I don’t have no food in the locker room. Make sure I got my right gear on, I’m where I’m supposed to be at with the class and all that stuff.”


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Jack Carlough
JACK CARLOUGH

Jack Carlough is lead reporter for Colorado Buffaloes on SI. Jack graduated from the University of Colorado with a bachelor's degree in journalism and minors in business and sports media. Born and raised in the Boulder area, Jack began covering Colorado athletics in 2018 and was the head sports editor of the CU Independent during his college career. More recently, he spent over three years as the managing editor of the USA Today Sports Network's Colorado Buffaloes Wire, where he covered Colorado's hiring of head football coach Deion Sanders. Other publications Jack has written for include the Boulder Daily Camera, Left Hand Valley Courier and SB Nation’s Ralphie Report. In 2022, the Colorado Press Association awarded Jack second place in its annual Class 5 Best Sports Column Writing category.