Show will debut on Prime Video in the US, with UK release yet to be announced

Next Man Up NFL doc Neo Studios

NEO Studios has produced six-part docuseries Next Man Up: Inside The NFL Alumni Academy.

The NFL Alumni Academy starts in week three of the NFL season and focues on training the positions most likely to be impacted by injury: offensive line, defensive line and running backs. it brings in players who’ve been recently released by NFL teams, or have always been in the wings but never had the chance to prove themselves. These 15 athletes spend 14 weeks undergoing intensive training to fight for a 1% chance of making it onto an NFL roster. 

NEO follows the journey of these players as they go through this experience, with the result now available on Prime Video in the US. A UK release date hasn’t been announced.

Scott Messick directs as well as exec producing alongside Mike Basone, Melanie Capacia Johnson, Dean Dalton, Brian Klaasmeyer, Mike Crawford, Olivia Steier, Thomas Q. Jones, Martha Sanchez.

Messick said: “Directing Next Man Up was an incredible experience because the stakes were so high for everyone involved. For the players… who all barely missed the NFL 53 man rosters, it was painful to watch them wait for a call that may or may not come. But, it was also incredibly joyful to see some of them called up to have another shot at their dream. For Dean and the Academy the stakes were also equally high. This was a start-up that relied on their football instincts to be successful. Failure would have financial consequences as well as letting down the players.”

Jones, who played in the NFL and also narrates Next Man Up, added: “I’m super excited to be an executive producer on this insightful docuseries which showcases the trials and tribulations of aspiring NFL players. Narrating this project gave me the opportunity to relive the emotional roller coaster I experienced during my 12 year NFL career. Next Man Up is must see TV.”