About

Our Mission

Elite Speed is an athletic program that seeks to provide the highest quality of training and exposure through education, leadership, discipline, and motivation. Elite Speed wants to ensure that every athlete that participates in our program leaves a better athlete and more importantly a better person.

Our Vision

Our goal at Elite Speed is to serve as a resource for boys and girls in the St. Louis Metropolitan area. At Elite Speed, we thrive on our three pillars of success: Aspire. Achieve. Advance. Our program provides athletes with the necessary tools to enhance their athletic abilities to an elite level.

Our Team

CEO & Founder

Cameron James

As CEO and Founder of Elite Speed, Coach James is passionate about our youth and their success in athletics. Coach James’ love for athletics and youth inspired him to give back to the community and build something bigger than himself. Through his years of experience, Coach James hopes to do what athletics did for him— aspire, achieve, and advance.

As a star standout in football and track & field for Edwardsville High School from 2008-2012, Coach James went on to compete at the collegiate level for McKendree University in both sports. Coach James excelled over those next four years, becoming a 4x GLVC All-Conference receiver and earning GLVC conference championships in the 60-meter dash and 200-meter dash. In 2014, Coach James earned 2nd Team All-American honors in the 60-meter dash, running a time of 6.77 seconds. The following year, in 2015, Coach James became McKendree’s first Track & Field athlete to become a First Team All-American by placing 5th in the 60-meter dash, running a time of 6.73. During his time at McKendree, Coach James left a lasting mark on both programs, becoming the All-Time Leader in All-Purpose Yards for McKendree Football and one of the top sprinters in McKendree Track & Field history.

Coach James earned his B.S. in Exercise Science from the University of McKendree, eventually taking on the role of Lead Trainer and Head of Business Operations for Nxt Level Performance Institute over the next three years. Following his role at Nxt Level, Coach James accepted a position as a teaching assistant at Belleville West High School, while also becoming a varsity wide receivers coach for the football team.

The most important factor Coach James wants to instill in his athletes is the perseverance to achieve their fullest potential in all aspects of life.

Running Back Coach

Justin Johnson Sr.

Justin Johnson Sr., a St. Louis native with 17 years of experience, serves as the Running Back Coach at Elite Speed in Granite City, IL. He leads a specialized program focused on combine-style training for running backs, emphasizing vision, burst, ball security, agility, balance, elusiveness, and pass-catching—key skills for success on the field.

Coach Johnson has helped develop top-tier talent, including a 4-star running back ranked 16th nationally by Rival and 247Sports, and a Division I Power Five running back. He believes in steady, 1% improvements that lead to lasting performance gains. His expertise and proven results make him a vital resource for athletes aiming to reach the next level.

Offensive Line Coach

Eric Bergman

Eric Bergman brings extensive experience to Elite Speed as the Offensive Line Coach. A former Division I lineman at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, he later coached at McKendree University as Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach, where his 2018 team averaged nearly 36 points per game and led the conference in total offense.

At Elite Speed, Coach Bergman applies this deep background to train linemen of all ages—from youth to professional—across St. Clair and Clinton Counties. His sessions focus on intensive, position-specific mastery: stance, footwork, hand placement, run and pass blocking, pulls, combo blocks, and more. With an emphasis on detail and real-game mechanics, he ensures athletes not only sharpen their physical technique but also fully understand how each movement translates to in-game performance.

Defensive Back & Linebacker Coach

Pierre Tucker

Tucker is an East St. Louis native who attended Belleville West High School (2009-2013), becoming a standout football and track & field athlete. Although Tucker was an All-Conference athlete in both sports, the majority of his accolades came from football, where he earned honors as All-State, All-Metro, and Metro-East Player of the Year as a linebacker.

Tucker went on to play football at the Division 1 level with the North Dakota State University Bison. He was an all-conference football player and was a part of four national championships, as well as a 55-5 record during his four years there. He was also given professional opportunities with the NFL, CFL, and YourCall Football.

Speed & Agility Assistant Coach

Sherond Boyd

Sherond is the brother of our former DB Coach Sherand Boyd. Sherond played football for Quincy University, where he started as a true freshman. After transferring to Judson University, he completed his education with a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science. Coach Boyd loves a good underdog story, as he lost his vision in one eye during his college football career. Despite the setback, Coach Boyd never gave up and continued to perform at a high level. He shows his love for sports and exercising by teaching that you can do anything you put your mind to.

Speed & Agility assistant coach

James Walker

With a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy & Religion from Lindenwood University, where he specialized in Christianity, Coach Walker excels at teaching speed, agility, mobility, and weight loss. Drawing from his extensive sports background in football and track & field at Belleville East Township High School, as well as his experience as a football athlete at Jackson State University and Lindenwood University, Coach Walker offers a unique perspective to his coaching approach. Coach Walker believes in empowering athletes and fostering community leadership and leverages his coaching experience from various roles, which includes him being a youth coach at Elite Football Academy and as Director of the East St. Louis Community Camp. Inspired by his faith, Coach Walker prioritizes educating athletes in injury prevention to enhance performance and longevity, both on and off the field.