dan yachter dc

Daniel S. Yachter, DC, DACCP

     His decision to attend Chiropractic School was based on watching his father receive Chiropractic Care and then heal and completely recover from lifelong crippling migraine headaches and and assortment of disabling conditions.  Dr. Dan was fascinated with the fact that a person could heal naturally without the use of drugs, surgery and harmful side-effects.  Dr. Yachter’s passion to serve a sick and suffering humanity has caused his practice to become one of the largest health centers in the world.

    He is one of the 5 chiropractic thought leaders to co-found Elevation Health. The vision of this company is to “Ignite the healthcare revolution, one family at a time.” This company is building principled chiropractic offices internationally as well as helping chiropractors lead and teach the families of their communities wellness lifestyle strategies. The founding 5 chiropractors all share a passion to spread God’s laws of life, health, and healing throughout the planet, thereby freeing families to live life without fear; empowering and equipping them to live high potential lives.    

    Dr. Dan Yachter is the founder of  the Elevation Health, Lake Mary office, one of the most successful practices in the world, and has been in practice for over 15 years.  Today, Dr. Dan cares for thousands of patients each year at his state-of-the-art wellness center as well as conducting numerous educational workshops on the Elevation Health Core 4 wellness principles each month.

     Dr. Yachter also has extensive training in pediatrics and maternity care and is certified in the Webster Technique through the International Pediatric Chiropractic Association. He has also completed their 400 hour pediatric diplomate program. Dr. Yachter cares for one of the largest patient bases in the profession: over 1,500 active individuals . Most importantly, he cares for the largest (single office) practice base of children and infants in the profession. This significant clinical experience has allowed Dr. Dan to achieve a high level of clinical proficiency in a short amount of time as well as deliver a high level of competency and certainty when caring for patients, specifically the tiny ones!

     In the chiropractic community, Dr. Yachter is known by his peers as the ‘chiropractor’s chiropractor’ having mentored, lead or consulted over 1,500 chiropractors over the last decade. Dr. Yachter is a frequent college lecturer and has spoken at Life Chiropractic College West (San Francisco), Parker Chiropractic (Dallas), and The New Zealand School of Chiropractic.

    Several of Dr. Yachter’s current or past community affiliations are as follows: Seminole County Chamber of Commerce, Lake Mary Chamber of Commerce, Public Speaker and Corporate Health Educator for the Employee Awareness Association, AAA ergonomic consultant (Lake Mary), Community outreach and spinal screening consulting at local Sam’s, Wal-marts, Costco, Target, L.A. Fitness, YMCA, & Florida PTA. For the past 14 years, Dr. Yachter can also be heard daily on his program Health Living on the 950 am WTLN radio.

          Dr. Dan is also the author of the book, “Doctor of The Future” and a world renowned Chiropractic wellness expert and speaker.          Patients describe Dr. Dan as a wellness expert/enthusiast with enormous vision, unbridled passion and a contagious obsession for spreading chiropractic principles and the message of healthy living locally and globally.

     He grew up in South Florida, earned his bachelor’s degree in nutritional sciences at the University of Florida in 1993 and his doctor of chiropractic at Life University in 1997.

     Away from caring for the wonderful families of Seminole County, Dr. Dan likes to spend time with his wife Mindy and their two daughters (princesses) Juliet (age 3) and Belle (age 1).

• Add Listing
• Chiropractors

Dr. Dan Yachter, DC, DACCP – Lake Mary Elevation Health

His decision to attend Chiropractic School was based on watching his father receive Chiropractic Care and then heal and completely recover from lifelong crippling migraine headaches and and assortment of disabling conditions.  Dr. Dan was fascinated with the fact that a person could heal naturally without the use of drugs, surgery and harmful side-effects.  Dr. Yachter’s passion to serve a sick and suffering humanity has caused his practice to become one of the largest health centers in the world.

He is one of the 5 Chiropractic Thought Leaders to Co-Found Elevation Health. The vision of this company is to “Ignite the healthcare revolution, one family at a time.” This company is building principled chiropractic offices internationally as well as helping chiropractors lead and teach the families of their communities wellness lifestyle strategies. The founding 5 chiropractors all share a passion to spread God’s laws of life, health, and healing throughout the planet, thereby freeing families to live life without fear; empowering and equipping them to live high potential lives.  

Dr. Dan Yachter is the founder of the Elevation Health, Lake Mary office, one of the most successful practices in the world, and has been in practice for over 15 years.  Today, Dr. Dan cares for thousands of patients each year at his state-of-the-art wellness center as well as conducting numerous educational workshops on the Elevation Health Core 4 wellness principles each month.

Dr. Yachter also has extensive training in pediatrics and maternity care and is certified in the Webster Technique through the International Pediatric Chiropractic Association. He has also completed their 400 hour pediatric diplomate program. Dr. Yachter cares for one of the largest patient bases in the profession: over 1,500 active individuals. Most importantly, he cares for the largest (single office) practice base of children and infants in the profession. This significant clinical experience has allowed Dr. Dan to achieve a high level of clinical proficiency in a short amount of time as well as deliver a high level of competency and certainty when caring for patients, specifically the tiny ones!

In the chiropractic community, Dr. Yachter is known by his peers as the ‘Chiropractor’s Chiropractor’ having mentored, lead or consulted over 1,500 Chiropractors over the last decade. Dr. Yachter is a frequent college lecturer and has spoken at Life Chiropractic College West (San Francisco), Parker Chiropractic (Dallas), and The New Zealand School of Chiropractic.

Rate us and Write a Review

Your review is recommended to be at least 140 characters long

Opening Hours

• Monday 07:30 AM - 10:30 AM
• Tuesday 12:00 AM - 06:00 PM
• Wednesday 07:30 AM - 10:30 AM
• Thursday 12:00 AM - 06:00 PM
• Friday 07:30 AM - 10:30 AM
• SaturdayClosed 24 hours open
• Sunday 24 hours open

( Dr. Dan Yachter, DC, DACCP – Lake Mary Elevation Health )

Claiming your business listing.

Please provide your business email which will be use for claim procedure.

Please provide your verification details which will be used for claim procedure.

NEW USER? TO SIGNUP ENTER AN EMAIL

Claim request is processed after verification..

Claim This Listing

Personal Injury Help

Kovar Law Group...

60 N Court Ave Ste. 300, Orlando...

Injury Health Center...

1850 N Alafaya Trail #1B, Orland...

Joseph A. Terranova,...

1850 N Alafaya Trail, Orlando, F...

344 W Lake Mary Blvd, Sanford, F...

Dr. Stacy Hudock Pro...

Farah & Farah...

800 N Magnolia Ave #105, Orlando...

Pardy & Rodrigu...

315 Park Lake Cir, Orlando, FL 3...

Trial Pro, P.A....

250 N Orange Ave 14th Floor, Orl...

Todd Miner Law...

915 Outer Rd, Orlando, FL 32814...

The Pendas Law Firm...

625 E Colonial Dr, Orlando, FL 3...

Elevation Health

Hours updated 2 weeks ago

Photos & videos

See all 23 photos

Services Offered

Verified by Business

Diet Management

Meal Planning

Nutrition Counseling

Virtual Classes

Exercise Planning

Medical Weight Loss Program

Personal Coaching

Virtual Consultations

You Might Also Consider

Logan Boyer Personal Training

We not only focus on individual and group training but we also work close with you on your nutrition and building healthy habits that fit your lifestyle! That way it doesn’t feel like a job to get calories in we make it fun and… read more

in Circuit Training Gyms, Trainers, Nutritionists

AK SPA is Orlando's premier destination for luxurious massages and facials. Conveniently located near Orlando International Airport, we cater to locals, tourists, and business professionals seeking top-notch relaxation and… read more

in Massage, Massage Therapy, Skin Care

Expressions Nutrition

Empowering individuals to achieve ultimate health, wellbeing, and longevity through an integrative, precision nutrition approach. I’ll work alongside you to develop a comprehensive plan to achieve full body wellness—often combining… read more

in Nutritionists

About the Business

Business owner information

Dr. Daniel Y.

Business Owner

Chiropractic * Corrective Chiropractic care (for the whole family) * Pediatric & pregnancy chiropractic care (Webster technique certified) * Bio-structural techniques * Spinal specific rehabilitation * Neuropathy programs Wellness: * Hormone Testing & Balancing (Male & Female testing) * Testosterone, Estrogen & Progesterone testing * Wellness Way Affiliate * Full Lab and blood work testing & diagnostics * Vit. D testing * Thyroid & autoimmune condition protocols * Immune System Strengthening * Cardiovascular Disease & Cholesterol testing * Inflammation testing/CRP * Nutritional Counseling and testing * Traditional Chinese Herbal medicines * Food Allergy Testing * Nutritional strategies * Nutritional Genomics * Nutritional Genetic testing and assessments * Monthly educational workshops * Corporate wellness and workplace energy enhancement programs * Athletic performance Nutrition plans * Executive programs * phlebotomist/blood draw services * Full Spectrum CBD oil and pain relief creams * Customized nutrition plans and supplementation based on blood work (testing & retesting) * Telomere testing Weight loss: * World-class wellness & weight loss and detoxification programs * Advanced detoxification programs with cutting-edge FITBody wrap sauna treatments: The FITBody wrap works to deeply detoxify the body, soothe aches and pains, speed muscle recovery, and boost metabolism... …

Location & Hours

Suggest an edit

1061 S Sun Dr

Lake Mary, FL 32746

Amenities and More

Ask the community.

Ask a question

Yelp users haven’t asked any questions yet about Elevation Health .

People also searched for

diet management

exercise planning

meal planning

medical weight loss program

nutrition counseling

personal coaching

Recommended Reviews

• 1 star rating Not good
• 2 star rating Could’ve been better
• 3 star rating OK
• 4 star rating Good
• 5 star rating Great

Select your rating

Overall rating

If you need chiropractic or nutrition care Elevation Health is the place to be. I needed both and I was able to push the reset button on my life with the care I'm receiving from Dr Dan and Dr Leif. I have completely changed my diet and am already seeing the results in my bloodwork. I had issues with my spine particularly my neck and after just two months my x rays are showing remarkable improvement.

They won't stop calling at all times of the day including Thanksgiving night to sell their services. I have asked countless time to be deleted from their list. After the doctor posted here that he was going to look into it . I'm still receiving calls. I just got one.

Dec 24, 2019

We only call those who've requested updates to our programs, services, etc. via phone delivery. Once you requested to be removed, you were removed. Not sure why you continue to receive our calls. You have our promise that we'll continue to work on this situation. We deeply apologize for the annoyance. We're having our IT personnel look into this.

They won't stop calling at all times of the day including Thanksgiving night to sell their services. I have asked countless time to be deleted from their listing.

I used to love Yachter Chiropractic. What he taught me about chiropractic changed my life. When we started going there we were invited to a dinner for new patients where Dr. Dan shared his heart and passion for chiropractic, and how it changed his dad's life. But, over the last few years it's become pretty clear that Dr. Dan's passion for chiropractic has been lost. It feels so much more like it's about the money and getting lots of patients. Adjustments literally take about a minute per person now. I miss the old Dr. Dan!

My whole family has undergone the incredible, life changing spinal corrective treatments from Dr. Dan Yachter and his staff. We have each improved in our overall wellness. My husband is off of blood pressure medication and has no more back pain. My daughter and son feel better and have improved in posture and overall wellness. I feel great, have lots of energy, and my neck continues to improve. Dr. Yachter is passionate about educating his patients and the community about living a life of wellness and the benefits of allowing the body to be in a position to heal itself and be the best it can be. I am so thankful for Dr. Yachter and his amazing staff.

Dec 6, 2018

Jan, thank you for the trust and confidence you've instilled in our team to care for your family's health needs. We greatly appreciate the opportunity!

Dr. Dan, Dr. Leif and the Elevation Health staff are absolutely amazing! The environment is super comfortable, they are incredibly well trained, and share every single aspect of what they do with you BEFORE you ever even start the program....when does that happen in 2015!? I am in the process of convincing my fiancee and my parents to sign up!

thank you for your wonderful review Mike!

Great group of doctors and assistants! I'm in traction at the moment so can't type well, but if you need help with most any ailment - come here!!

The doctors and staff at Elevation Health are wonderful and they truly care about you. They are sure to make you feel welcome and take a genuine interest in you as a person. There goal is to ensure that you obtain the best health possible via adjustments and physical therapy to help you gain strength in those areas of your body that are experiencing pain. They provide one on one advice to help you along your healing path. They also provide valuable workshops that assist you in gaining the knowledge necessary to become a better, healthier and more vital you. I look forward to seeing Dr. Dan and Dr. Bodine each time I visit them. They genuinely care for you and take every means necessary to ensure you have the best visit ever. I was having a really bad day yesterday and Dr. Bodine went the extra mile to brighten my day and put a smile on my face. They also have delicious smoothies to aid you in healthy eating. I would recommend this office and these doctors to anyone I meet.

59 other reviews that are not currently recommended

People Also Viewed

Seminole Integrative medicine

North Orlando Spine Center

Lawrence Teixeira, DC, PA

Pure Chiropractic & Natural Health

Kersenbrock Chiropractic

Revival Chiropractic

Lake Mary Chiropractic Center

Beyond Medical

Edward J Magee, MD

Seminole Chiropractic Center

Browse Nearby

Restaurants

Things to Do

Acupuncture

Physical Therapy

Cryotherapy

Other Places Nearby

Find more Chiropractors near Elevation Health

Find more Pediatricians near Elevation Health

Find more Weight Loss Centers near Elevation Health

Service Offerings in Lake Mary

Dr. Daniel S Yachter

• MEDICARE CERTIFIED
• 27+ YEARS EXP
• Share on Twitter
• Share on Facebook
• Share on Google Plus

Dr. Daniel S Yachter, DC, is a Chiropractic specialist in Lake Mary, Florida. He attended and graduated from Life Chiropractic College - West in 1997, having over 27 years of diverse experience, especially in Chiropractic. Dr. Daniel S Yachter also cooperates with other doctors and physicians in medical groups including Elevation Health Lake Mary Llc. Dr. Daniel S Yachter may accept Medicare Assignment. Call (407) 333-2277 to request Dr. Daniel S Yachter the information (Medicare information, advice, payment, ...) or simply to book an appointment.

Doctor Profile

Medical Specialties

• Chiropractic (primary specialty)
• Over 27 years of diverse experience

Credentials

• Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) help Doctor of Chiropractic A chiropractor is a person who practices chiropractic, specialising in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disorders of the neuromusculoskeletal system and the effects of these disorders on general health.

Education and Training

• Dr. Daniel S Yachter attended and graduated from Life Chiropractic College - West in 1997.
• NPI #: 1376855486
• NPI Enumeration Date: Tuesday, July 6, 2010
• NPPES Last Update: Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Quality Reporting

• eRx - He does not participate in the Medicare Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program.
• PQRS - He does not report Quality Measures (PQRS). The Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) is a Medicare program encouraging health care professionals and group practices to report information on their quality of care. Quality measures can show how well a health care professional provides care to people with Medicare.
• EHR - He does not use electronic health records (EHR). The Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive Program encourages health care professionals to use certified EHR technology in ways that may improve health care. Electronic health records are important because they may improve a health care professional's ability to make well-informed treatment decisions.
• MHI - He does not commit to heart health through the Million Hearts initiative. Million Hearts is a national initiative that encourages health care professionals to report and perform well on activities related to heart health in an effort to prevent heart attacks and strokes.
• MOC - He does not participate in the Medicare Maintenance of Certification Program. A "Maintenance of Certification Program" encourages board certified physicians to continue learning and self-evaluating throughout their medical career.

Language Spoken by Dr. Daniel S Yachter

Medical licenses.

Medical Group Practice

Practice Locations

• Monday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• Tuesday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• Thursday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• Friday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• Saturday: Closed
• Sunday: Closed

Contact Dr. Daniel S Yachter by phone: (407) 333-2277 for verification, detailed information, or booking an appointment before going to.

See more related doctors and physicians

Most visited doctors, dr. stepan y kravchuk 27y+ exp, dr. antonio cubano 20y+ exp, dr. ajay thakur 31y+ exp, mr. mohammad u ghani 15y+ exp, dr. anne mian 41y+ exp, dr. brandon s fletcher 18y+ exp, dr. cathryn powers 36y+ exp, dr. syed hadi shah 18y+ exp, recently added doctors, dr. donald perry 13y+ exp, dr. dejan samardzic 13y+ exp, dr. valerie croteau 12y+ exp, ms. akilah darabi tunsill 8y+ exp, dr. chris s mattey 13y+ exp, mr. derrick del rosario 10y+ exp.

• New Hampshire
• North Carolina
• Pennsylvania
• West Virginia
• Online hoaxes
• Coronavirus
• Health Care
• Immigration
• Environment
• Foreign Policy
• Kamala Harris
• Donald Trump
• Mitch McConnell
• Hakeem Jeffries
• Ron DeSantis
• Tucker Carlson
• Sean Hannity
• Rachel Maddow
• PolitiFact Videos
• 2024 Elections
• Mostly True
• Mostly False
• Pants on Fire
• Biden Promise Tracker
• Trump-O-Meter
• Latest Promises
• Our Process
• Who pays for PolitiFact?
• Advertise with Us
• Suggest a Fact-check
• Corrections and Updates
• Newsletters

Get PolitiFact in your inbox.

• Weekly Email Newsletter
• Daily Email Newsletter

Live: Fact-checking Joe Biden and Donald Trump’s first 2024 presidential debate

If your time is short.

• PolitiFact's live blog is closed. Read our full coverage of the debate in this roundup story.
• Was there something Trump or Biden said at the debate you think we should check? Send it to us at [email protected] so we can investigate.

PolitiFact live fact-checked the first 2024 presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump on June 27 with  CNN moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.

Our Sources

See links in story.

Browse the Truth-O-Meter

More by politifact staff.

Judging (DC's September 2024) Books By Their Covers

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

• In this article, the author highlights their top 10 favorite comic book covers for DC's September 2024 solicitations
• The covers are praised for their unique designs, clever concepts, and exceptional artwork.
• Nicola Scott's stunning covers featuring detailed attention to past depictions of characters are a highlight this month

"Judging Books By Their Covers" is a feature where I pick out my favorite comic book covers from the monthly solicitations by the various comic book companies.

So here we are, back again after a month and, not, you know, FIFTEEN YEARS like the gap between the previous two Judging Books By Their Covers.

The way this works is that I'm going to just count down my ten favorite covers of the solicitations (note that not every cover for DC's September 2024 releases has been revealed yet, so I'm going just by what was actually featured in the solicitations, which you can click on here to follow along ). I'm considering perhaps working in one or two cover images that I think didn't quite work, but I guess I'll stick with just "pros" for now, and no "cons" (one exception this time around, but it's a major one).

Judging (DC's August 2024) Books By Their Covers

It's the return of the fan-favorite feature, Judging Books By Their Covers, where we take a look at our favorite covers from DC's August 2024 solicits

A note about THAT Superman cover

As I pointed out in a recent news article , DC has pulled three covers that were featured in the September 2024 solicitations that were "drawn" by artist Francesco Mattina after superstar artist Adi Granov pointed out that the covers were almost assuredly produced with generative "A.I." art.

And yes, it will be a tough thing for DC to live down that no editor caught the fact that Superman's S symbol had an extra bit (a tell-tale sign of A.I. art)...

But what's striking to me is how bad the cover is BESIDES the major screw-up. Everyone looks like they're in their own separate cover, like a classic "color forms" cover, which was one of the critiques I used to make back in the day when it looked like someone just sort of assembled a few different figures and slapped them on a cover today with no cohesion. That's what this cover looks like BESIDES the alleged use of A.I. art. It was nice to see DC pull the covers. Okay, on to the actual GOOD covers!

10. Javier Rodríguez shows how a little bit of oddity in a normal setting helps to set a cover apart

For a while there, during the Golden Age and the Silver Age, a big thing on comic book covers was to have a giant hand show up on the cover. No one knows why, exactly, outside, I suppose, the idea that, well, giant hands on comic book covers look pretty freaking cool (here's a notable one I've written about recently, although this one is even trippier ).

Here, the giant hand is not the main attraction, per se, but Javier Rodríguez cleverly juxtaposes the oddity of the giant hand with the scene of John Constantine and Zatanna in an embrace on a balcony. it is such an unusual mix that it really stands out. What's interesting is that even WITHOUT the giant hand, it is a well-drawn cover, but, well, there are a LOT of well-drawn covers every month, so it is smart for Rodríguez to go for something a little bit special.

9. For a company known for an Infinite Crisis, Dan Hipp pulls out the Infinity Cover

Another classic comic book cover gag that isn't really used anymore is the "Infinity Cover." You know, a character is reading the comic book cover that they are appearing on, and so the cover that they are reading shows them reading the comic book cover...that they are on, holding the cover...which they are on, and so the concept theoretically goes on forever, hence "Infinity Cover." It was obviously more of a draw when the main audiences for comic books were little kids, as stuff like that likely blew their little minds.

However, what I love about this Dan Hipp cover is not so much the "Infinity Cover" aspect of it (although that IS cool), but just the amount of character work he gets done in the faces of the characters. This really draws you into the cover, and I assume it's why our editor, Jenny C, chose this cover for the header image for DC's September solicitations.

8. Inhyuk Lee shows the power of negative space with his Robin cover

As I noted last time , the biggest change between now and the mid-to-late 2000s, when I was last doing these columns, is by FAR the proliferation of covers that are "just" pin-ups. Obviously, pin-up covers have been in play for YEARS before now, but the difference is that DC eventually started doing cardstock variant covers that were specifically designed to highlight the cover art, like you're buying a little print. As a result, and due to the expansion of the AMOUNT of variants for each cover, there are soooooo many more pin-up covers than there used to be, and I generally prefer my covers to have something more to do with the plot of the comic.

There are PLENTY of excellent pin-up covers, but for me to feature them, they have to do something really special, and I think Inhyuk Lee pulled that off with this cover for the series about what if Jason Todd had lived. I am a sucker for negative space, and Lee's use of it on this cover is stunning.

When Every DC Comic for a Month Had Its Title Worked Into Its Cover Image

In December 2001, every DC superhero title worked its title into its cover. Check out all 33 covers and see which one you think did the best job!

7. Alex Lins' Plastic Man: No More cover popped with its pop art

Plastic Man: No More #1 has a BUNCH of really nice covers, including some variants that actually tie into the theme of the series, which is about Plastic Man discovering that his body is deteriorating. However, while there were some strong variant covers on the same idea (Tyler Boss has Plastic Man melting on a clock as timing is running out, while Chris Samnee has Plastic Man forming a prohibition sign around himself), I think the best of the bunch is the main cover, by Alex Lins, who is the interior artist on the series.

The use of Plastic Man on Pop Art at the gallery is clever, contrasted with the "real" Plastic Man walking around, slowly detroriating. It's quite the clever (and slightly disturbing) visual.

6. Constantine was a movie, and now John Constantine is a movie on a cover, as well

As I noted, obviously, John Constantine HAS starred in a major Hollywood movie before , but this cover goes well beyond that, tying beautifully into the concept of the issue, which is described as, "John has made it all the way out west to Los Angeles, where the line between what’s real and not is paper thin – and that’s before you unleash the power of Dream’s sand. The long-traveled road across America has lead them here…but what sort of evil lurks behind the bright lights of Hollywood?"

So how clever is it to then show him trapped in a reel of film, with the other film reels showing movies named after famous Hellblazer storylines? The answer is, "Very clever." Great work by Aaron Campbell.

5. Bruno Redondo bids farewell to Nightwing with a cute variant cover

Nightwing #118 marks the end of the wonderful Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo run on Nightwing (made all the more notable based on how low the book was before they took over), and Redondo has an adorable variant cover for the issue that shows Nightwing and all of the heroes (and his dog) running off into action...only for Nightwing to quickly return to wave goodbye to the readers.

That is truly a very sweet, and touching way for Redondo to say goodbye. Redondo has been outstanding on this series, helping to take bold leaps constantly throughout the run, and I can't wait to see all the great stuff he'll be up to next.

4. Brian Bolland continues to show why he is the master with this Poison Ivy cover

Now, one of the notable examples of an artist who has been doing pin-up style covers for DECADES is Brian Bolland. He is one of the most acclaimed artists in the history of comic books (voted #21 on our most recent poll of CBR readers for their all-time favorite comic book artists and writers), and he often does pin-up covers. However, a lot of the time, his covers tie directly into the plot of the issue in question. Not ALL of the time, of course, but a lot of the time.

This Poison Ivy #25 cover seems to not really tie into the issue's story (but I could be mistaken), but, I mean, great googley moogley, look how amazing that comic book cover is! DC didn't even have this appear as a variant, it is the MAIN cover for the book! It is a delight for them to have this to celebrate their 25th issue (comic books for some reason view 25th issues as big deals, and if you're going to treat something as a big deal, getting Brian freakin' Bolland to do a cover is a heck of a way to celebrate).

10 Spider-Man Covers That Pay Homage To Classic Comic Covers

Legendary Spider-Man artists like Mark Bagley, Ron Frenz, and Todd McFarlane have homaged several iconic comic book covers over the years.

3. Greg Smallwood evokes the mood beautifully with his Batman the Barbarian cover

After a breathtaking stint on Human Target with Tom King, Greg Smallwood did such an amazing job on that book that I guess the next step was for him to write his own comic book, and that's the case with his work on Batman the Barbarian for DC's new return of Elseworlds comic books. DC has really lined up some great talent for these Elseworlds books (I previously featured a Leandro Fernandez cover as #4 last month , and Fernandez's cover THIS month almost made the Top 10, as well), and Smallwood is no exception.

He perfectly evokes a classic pulp style with this cover, although he is doing so without outright mimicking, say, a Margaret Brundage , but going for something equaling the FEEL of those covers without outright copying them. It's an excellent piece of work.

2. Eduardo Risso keeps us off kilter with this striking Batman: The Last Halloween cover

I feel bad leaving off Tim Sale's cover for this issue, but, well, as great of a drawing as it was by a wonderful artist (who are so unfortunate to no longer have with us), it really seemed like a basic sketch of Batman by Sale, and not really anything specific to this issue. Meanwhile, Eduardo Risso does a wonderful job with a cover that is clearly tied into the issue, and also is extremely offbeat.

The idea of Batman posing for a mugshot is genius, and I just ADORE how the letters are out of sorts. What a clever idea for a cover, and extremely well executed.

1. Nicola Scott is so awesome that she got her own cover month

I was all prepared at first to give Nicola Scott's covers an honorable mention, as I thought that these were all pre-existing pieces, but then I realized that MOST of these are brand-new pieces, and, well, WOW! These are just stunning. The way that Scott pays such detailed attention to the past depictions of the characters, but without ever losing the PERSONALITY of each piece is truly remarkable.

The Nightwing one is an old piece that is making its cover debut, and I love how cheeky she is with the ass shot. Too, too funny. These are just outstanding, and a highlight of the month. Good for whoever at DC came up with the idea of doing a month of these wonderful covers.

Okay, this column is a bit less reader-interactive, but hey, if you want to share your thoughts on DC's September 2024 covers, feel free to make comments, or drop me a line at [email protected]!

• Judging Books By Their Covers

Was Australian pilot, Daniel Duggan, part of a conspiracy to train Chinese military pilots?

Facing up to 65 years in a US prison, this Australian pilot says he's an innocent pawn in the contest between the world's superpowers.

Daniel Duggan's hands are pressed against the glass partition inside the dock of a tiny Sydney courtroom.

On the other side of the enclosure, his wife and kids are in tears, trying to touch their hands to his. He's mouthing "I love you" but you can't hear the words. Within moments, he's ushered out — back to the cells.

Nearly two years have passed since the 55-year-old former US Marine was arrested in a supermarket car park in regional New South Wales.

A Sydney magistrate has just ruled that Duggan is eligible for surrender to the United States. If extradited and found guilty of the crimes of which he's accused, he could face a 65-year sentence in a US prison.

The accusations are shocking.

US prosecutors claim Duggan was part of a years-long conspiracy to illegally train Chinese military pilots how to land and take off from an aircraft carrier. And that he laundered the money that he earned doing this.

He's already been incarcerated in NSW for more than 600 days without any Australian charges.

In that time, he hasn't had any chance to defend himself in court against the allegations he faces. The US doesn't need to prove the merits of its case in Australia — they just have to prove he's eligible for extradition.

The question of whether he's guilty or innocent will not be decided in Australia.

This is why Duggan decided to speak to the ABC's Background Briefing . He knows anything he says could be used against him if he's extradited to the US. But he wants to tell his side of the story.

This is the most complete public explanation he has ever given about this case, and it raises critical new questions about how it has been handled, and the basis of the accusations against him.

Background Briefing has also been able to obtain a copy of the US prosecutor's affidavit against Duggan, which reveals new details about the evidence against him.

The husband and father-of-six, who became an Australian citizen in 2012, says he is innocent on all charges. He believes he is a victim of a geopolitical game between two of the world's most powerful nations — the US and China.

The final decision about whether Daniel Duggan will be extradited to the United States now rests with federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus.

But what were the events that led to this self-proclaimed "Top Gun" being arrested in broad daylight?

Classification: 'Extreme high-risk restricted inmate'

Speaking down a crackly phone line from a maximum-security prison, Duggan recounts his first night behind bars — it was the first time in his life he'd ever set foot inside a jail.

"There's no running water, and there's a lot of the other people that are in these dry cells, going through withdrawals off of drugs or alcohol. They're mentally unstable, right?

"The man in the cell next to me is defecating all over himself. Then he's taking it and rubbing it all over the walls. And himself.

"That was my introduction to maximum-security prison in Australia."

Duggan says for the next 62 days, while the Australian government awaited details of the US case, he had no idea why he'd been arrested.

"All I knew was that the United States wanted to extradite me," he says.

Though he was born in Massachusetts, Duggan hadn't lived in the United States for more than two decades at the time of his arrest.

"I was classified as an extreme-high-risk restricted inmate," he recalls. "Something that's normally reserved for people who are accused of terrorism."

He was also placed on an order that meant he was isolated from all other inmates.

A few days before Christmas 2022, more than 60 days after Daniel Duggan was jailed, the extradition request arrived from Washington.

It revealed Duggan had been secretly indicted by a grand jury in the US almost five years earlier.

He was accused of being part of a conspiracy to unlawfully export defence services, alongside eight alleged co-conspirators. It is also alleged that he twice violated American arms control laws when teaching at a South African flying school in 2012.

This flying school is called the Test Flying Academy of South Africa, or TFASA.

TFASA specialises in training test pilots, elite aviators whose job it is to push planes to their absolute limits and evaluate their performance under duress.

Duggan describes the school as one of the best of its kind in the world.

"It was like the Harvard Law School of test pilot schools," he says.

"The type of training that is given at those schools is highly specialised. It's dangerous. It's expensive."

The school was created in 2003 specifically to cater to China's booming aviation sector, which needed thousands more pilots than the country could train. TFASA even launched a flying school in partnership with one of China's biggest defence companies, AVIC.

US prosecutors allege the conspiracy began in 2009 when senior figures from the flight school and a Chinese businessman began to organise aircraft carrier landing training.

The indictment says this involved several alleged co-conspirators importing an old US Navy training plane called a T2 Buckeye for this training.

There's no evidence to suggest Duggan was involved with importing the plane.

'Harvard for test pilots'

In 2010, Duggan was running an adventure tourism business called Top Gun Tasmania, where he took clients on joy rides in old military jets over the picturesque island state.

Around this time, an intriguing offer landed in his lap. The chief operating officer of TFASA, a decorated veteran named Keith Hartley, wanted Duggan to come and teach at the flight school.

"Keith Hartley is considered one of the top living test pilots in the world," Duggan explains.

"He was chief test pilot of British Aerospace [BAE], he was a Royal Air Force test pilot, top of his field, highly regarded.

"He specifically brought a lot of credibility to TFASA."

A famous photo of Hartley, taken back in 1988, shows him testing a jet called a Tornado.

He is flying faster than 900 kilometres per hour with the canopy down and wearing no oxygen mask.

Duggan's response to TFASA's offer was emphatic.

"I was honoured to be asked to help them."

The key allegations against Daniel Duggan centre around his time at TFASA in 2012. US prosecutors claim he was involved in illegally training Chinese military pilots how to land and take off from an aircraft carrier.

The US argues he was an American citizen at the time he taught at TFASA, and needed to get approval from the US government to train any foreign military.

But Daniel says he was told the students were civilians by both Keith Hartley and the manager of TFASA's China program, a man named Keith Dennison.

"I took the word of TFASA that these pilots were Chinese test pilots, student Chinese test pilots. They weren't military," Daniel says.

He doesn't deny part of what was being taught to these Chinese pilots was a technique initially developed to land on aircraft carriers. But he says there were not actual carriers involved, and the technique has many valid applications outside of military context.

"What is being taught is technique to control an aircraft and, and slow flight and up and up and close to aerodynamic stall," he says. "It's approach and landing technique. And in the military, it was referred to what they call field carrier landing practice."

"It's a flight technique developed for approach and landing to aircraft carrier. That doesn't mean that the pilots are being taught to land and take off from aircraft carriers.

"To say that we were or TFASA or I was involved with teaching people how to land on an aircraft carrier is false."

He uses the analogy of aerobatics: "Aerobatics are canned air combat manoeuvres that were developed in the military, you know, back in World War I and World War II."

"So when someone's teaching someone aerobatics now, it doesn't mean that's teaching them how to do air combat — they're teaching them a flight technique that was developed for air combat," he says.

Duggan's pilot log book shows that he did three stints in South Africa in 2012, in March, April and November. In that time, he did a session "reactivating" his prior rating on the T2 Buckeye and flew just over 16 hours in the plane.

He says that he was mostly at TFASA to certify the school's own trainers.

According to his log book, while at TFASA in 2012 he largely flew a British plane called a BAC Strikemaster, which isn't used for aircraft carrier landings.

"My involvement in the entire test pilot course itself was very, very minimal, very minimal," he says.

TFASA told Background Briefing that Daniel Duggan undertook only one training course at the school in November and December 2012.

It said the school paid him before that to prepare for the course, including getting his South African pilot's license.

According to TFASA, its students came from the Chinese Flight Test Establishment and the syllabus in the course that Duggan was part of delivering was "totally unclassified". The school said it was unable to provide a copy of the syllabus.

A spokesperson said:

"TFASA has never provided operational training to land on a ship, nor would such training have been possible in South Africa. "The Field Carrier Landing Practice is a well-known exercise that enables students to gain precision handling experience."

Background Briefing spoke with five expert test pilots, who had worked for major airlines and at international test pilot schools. They said techniques like stall and slow flight were important for test pilots to learn, but none had heard of "Field Carrier Landing Practice" being used in civilian test pilot training.

TFASA denied that the T2 Buckeye was illegally imported. A spokesperson said:

"Recent communications between the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Air Force Office of Special Investigation and the Society of Experimental Test Pilots indicate that TFASA has broken no laws."

Lawyers for Keith Hartley said that he denies any criminal wrongdoing and maintains that he has always acted lawfully.  

Keith Dennison did not reply to the ABC's questions. It is understood he is not one of the alleged co-conspirators listed in Daniel Duggan's indictment.

ASIO enters the frame

After Duggan's stint in South Africa ended, he returned to Australia in late 2012.

Soon after, he says he received a call from someone from Australia's domestic spy agency, ASIO. They arranged to meet in person, at a hotel on Hobart's waterfront.

He remembers that when he arrived there, he was surprised to see there was also an agent from the US Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) present.

Duggan says at this meeting, ASIO representatives and the NCIS agent knew about his work at TFASA and the fact he was planning to move to China in the near future.

"They didn't raise any concerns," he explains. "They knew about what was going on in South Africa, and they never said it was illegal or anything like that."

In a letter to Australia's intelligence watchdog IGIS, Duggan offered more detail on this meeting.

"I expressed my sentiment that if, for some reason that I was not aware of, such activities were inappropriate to ASIO, that I would not return to either South Africa or China," he wrote.

There was a specific line he said the ASIO representative used, that stayed with him long afterwards: "We don't want to interfere in your business in China — good luck, make money and if you can meet any Chinese generals, we can do business."

He left that meeting with the understanding that ASIO wanted him to be a human intelligence source in China.

After his arrest, Duggan made a complaint about ASIO's conduct to IGIS. An ASIO spokeswoman said the report, which will not be made public, "is unequivocal in its findings that ASIO acted both ethically and within the law at all times regarding Daniel Duggan".

An NCIS spokesperson said they were unable to comment given the legal circumstances.

China is 'buzzing'

Daniel Duggan and his family moved to China in 2013 and it is a time in their lives that Daniel's wife Saffrine remembers fondly.

"China was buzzing then," she says.

"We had great trade agreements going on. Lots of friends were going in and out of Beijing, Shanghai. It was a wonderful place."

Duggan describes China at that time as unlike anywhere else in the world: there were so many new airports being built, new airlines coming to market, and incredible demand for pilot training.

"There was just enormous, enormous opportunity in the aviation sector at that time," he says.

He says that he was working as an aviation consultant in China, including for a start-up airline called Joy Air and for flight schools.

New opportunities for friendships arrived too. Through the Beijing expat scene, he met a man named Nick Coyle, the head of the Australia-China Chamber of Commerce at the time.

Coyle was also the partner of Cheng Lei, who would later be tried in secret, and imprisoned in Beijing for three years for "illegally supplying state secrets overseas", before her surprise release last year.

Coyle remembers first meeting Duggan around 2013 at a regular social drinks function the Australian expat community held in Beijing.

"I just found him to be a nice guy, charming guy," he says. "He kind of had that Boston American sort of politeness, along with the Australian directness."

The two bonded over a shared interest in aviation and discussed Duggan's work in China.

"As I understood, it was to do with what they call in aviation 'crew resource management'. He was doing consulting with some airlines in that area," Coyle says.

Duggan even bought a dive bar in Beijing, which he fitted out with kitsch Australiana merchandise and renamed The Flying Kangaroo. The idea was for it to become the go-to spot for international pilots in town on a layover.

"My overall impression was that Daniel wasn't a flashy guy," he says. "He wasn't a man of significant means. I knew he had quite a big family and lots of responsibilities there. He sort of struck me as a guy who was, you know, getting by."

Nick Coyle remembers learning about the charges against Duggan in a state of disbelief.

"I remember at the time going, 'Daniel — really?' That was my instant reaction. If you'd asked me to name my top 10, my top 20 characters who, if it came out at a later point in time, were perhaps up to no good, he wouldn't have been on the list."

To understand why the US has zeroed in on Daniel Duggan, though, you need to know more about the man who brought him to China in the first place.

The international contact

Su Bin is a Chinese businessman and aviation expert. He speaks six languages. He has a blog on the Chinese social media site Weibo, where he writes prolifically on everything from Top Gun: Maverick to aviation theory and the challenges of learning English.

Daniel and Saffrine describe Su Bin as their one-time business agent who "signed off" on them to be able to get work.

"When you go to a country like China, Vietnam, Indonesia even, you need to have people that are there, to be able to get a working visa," Saffrine says.

Duggan says Su Bin assisted many westerners working in China's aviation space.

"He was a business agent for TFASA and that's where I first was introduced to him."

According to the indictment, Su Bin paid to fly Duggan to China on multiple occasions between 2011 and 2012, ostensibly to do "personal development training" and a motivational speech called The Fighter Pilot's Guide to Mission Success.

It was a speech he says he had given at many corporate gigs before. His wife, Saffrine, says this was what brought him to Sydney on the day they first met in 2011.

US prosecutors say Duggan was paid about $180,000 to deliver these speeches.

Su Bin was the founder of an aviation company called Lode Technology. Around the time the Duggans moved to China, it was the Beijing address of Lode Technology that Duggan nominated as his new place of business on his ASIC forms.

In 2014, Su Bin was arrested in Canada. He was accused of helping Chinese army hackers steal hundreds of thousands of documents related to Boeing's C-17 aircraft and the F-35 and F-22 fighter jets.

Extradited to the US in 2016, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 46 months in a US prison.

Both Daniel and Saffrine say they were shocked by the revelations about Su Bin.

"It was a complete surprise," Duggan says. "He had a business with like 90 employees and several offices all over China."

Soon after they learned the news, Duggan says he was told that the Chinese government had put an exit ban on him, meaning he couldn't leave the country.

"What I believe is that [the Chinese government] believed I had something to do with Su Bin. Like somehow I had given some information that could have got him in trouble, which didn't happen," Duggan says.

The citizenship question

In late 2016, Duggan got a certificate from the American embassy in Beijing that said he had relinquished his US citizenship four years earlier. 

He says the timing of getting this certificate wasn't nefarious, it was simply a matter of convenience.

"There was no US consulate in Hobart, right?" he says. "So it wasn't a simple thing — you'd either have to go to Canberra or off to Sydney or something like that, and it just wasn't convenient."

Whether Daniel Duggan was an American citizen or not in 2012 is a key question in this case — one the US argues should be decided after he is extradited.

His citizenship matters because the arms control laws he is accused of breaking only apply to "US persons", such as citizens and permanent residents.

Duggan says he was not an American citizen while working at TFASA in 2012, and thus could not have broken this law.

He points to the certificate he received from the US embassy, which says he relinquished his American citizenship on the day he became an Australian citizen: January 26, 2012.

It didn't become explicitly illegal for Australians to train foreign militaries until 2018.

But the American prosecutors are adamant that Duggan was still a citizen until he got that certificate in Beijing in 2016, four years after he worked at TFASA.

Duggan says this is why he's the only one of the seven alleged co-conspirators in his indictment who is currently in jail.

"That's why I've been singled out," he says. "Because I'm the only one the United States is saying was a US citizen."

USA vs Daniel Duggan

Su Bin pleaded guilty in March 2016, and in November of that year, a grand jury was secretly sworn in to indict Daniel Duggan in Washington DC.

An affidavit sworn by US prosecutors, obtained by Background Briefing , reveals new details about the case against Duggan.

It is clear from this document that a large amount of the evidence against him came from Su Bin's devices, likely after the businessman's arrest.

This includes a 17-page assessment of China's naval aviation training program entitled "DSQ Assessment II — MAR 2011". US prosecutors claim Duggan wrote this assessment, citing that "the metadata identified the author as 'Dan Duggan'".

The affidavit claims the assessment contained observations of China's naval pilot trainees and recommendations on how to improve both the pilot's training and the flight simulators for carrier training. It also allegedly included an evaluation of the Su-33 fighter jet and an "ideal overall training program" that ranged from "Primary Flight School" to "Navy Graduate", which included "Weaponry" and "Air Combat".

When Background Briefing put this allegation to Daniel Duggan, he flatly denied any involvement in the creation of the document.

"I know nothing about that," he says.

"They claim that I was the author of it through metadata, right? But that wasn't where that came from. 

"Who knows who's manipulated that metadata to see if that is indeed the case? It certainly wasn't authored by me."

Interestingly, the US also alleges that when that document was authored in 2011, Daniel Duggan was in the proximity of one of China's aircraft carriers, the Liaoning.

Duggan describes this as a "complete nonsense allegation."

"They say I'm in Guangzhou, right? Guangzhou is a river city. There are no aircraft carriers in Guangzhou.

"It's like … saying there's an aircraft carrier on the Parramatta River in Penrith or something, you know? So it's just absurd."

According to contemporaneous BBC reporting, the Liaoning was actually in the city of Dalian in March 2011, about 2,000 kilometres away from Guangzhou, when prosecutors claim Duggan was in the carrier's vicinity.

The carrier was still under construction at the time and it didn't begin sea trials until August of that year.

When Background Briefing put detailed questions about this and other aspects in Daniel Duggan's case to the US Department of Justice, it declined to comment, citing a policy on extradition-related matters.

In late 2022, a warrant was issued against TFASA's COO, Keith Hartley, and the Australian Federal Police raided his home in Adelaide Hills.

A magistrate found there was reasonable grounds to suspect Hartley had provided military training to the Chinese Peoples' Liberation Army between 2018 and 2022, several years after the alleged conspiracy the US claims Daniel Duggan was involved in.

In the 18 months since the raid, Hartley has not been charged with any offence.

Through his lawyers, he denied any wrongdoing.

'They want to scare people'

After Daniel Duggan was arrested in Orange nearly two years ago, his family found themselves at the centre of an international scandal.

The British government announced a crackdown on training foreign militaries, and there have since been reports of pilots from Canada, New Zealand and Germany training Chinese military personnel as well.

In Canberra, Defence Minister Richard Marles ordered an investigation into whether Australian veterans were involved, too.

Even ASIO's director-general Mike Burgess weighed into the saga.

"The bottom line is, they are transferring highly sensitive, privileged and classified know-how to foreign governments that do not share our values or respect the rule of law," the ASIO boss told an audience in Canberra.

"These individuals are lackeys, more 'top tools' than 'top guns'.

The last couple of years have taken a serious toll on Daniel's wife Saffrine and his six kids — both emotionally and financially.

The family has poured more than $800,000 into his legal fight. The US was even able to legally restrain Saffrine from selling a property she owns in Australia.

"That money was for our family and of course for Dan's legal defence," she says.

"I am now a single mother and I can only work part-time. We have lots of kids who actually need more attention from me now than ever. They are showing signs of trauma and stress, which breaks my heart."

Saffrine says she believes the US is trying to make an example out of her husband.

"They want to scare people," she says. "To say, we don't want you to have anything to do with China.

"We don't want you to do business in China. And we are putting a warning out to anyone who's even going to think of it. It's as simple as that, and it's not fair."

In June, the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, which consists of Australia, the US, UK, Canada and New Zealand, put out a bulletin.

It warned of the Chinese government's attempts to recruit Western pilots. Duggan's case was explicitly referenced as an example of a veteran being prosecuted.

This comes after a decade of growing political tension between the two superpowers.

China's military has ballooned — its naval fleet is now the world's largest — and its ambitions in the South China Sea and Taiwan have become more overt.

Meanwhile, the US, through moves like the AUKUS security pact, has sought to offset China's rise.

A decision looms

Federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has not yet decided whether to surrender Daniel Duggan to the US for extradition.

He will weigh final submissions from both parties, before making a decision, which could come any day now.

A spokesperson from his department said: "Mr Duggan's matter will be progressed as quickly as possible and with due regard to the requirements of the extradition framework."

Daniel Duggan says he believes he has become a pawn in the great geopolitical conflict of our time.

"If these test pilots were from New Zealand or from Australia or from the United States or from France or Britain or any other country in the world, I'm certain that I wouldn't be in prison at all right now," he says.

"It's solely because this is a political thing — anything to do with China is considered bad now."

As the interview draws to an end, Daniel Duggan becomes less filtered, his tactfulness falls away.

"People inside the Canberra bubble lose touch with reality," he says. "They get so caught up in the whole political game, in the geopolitical game-playing, that they don't even care what's right or wrong, they just love the sport of it.

"Unfortunately, I'm like the ball of this sport that's getting kicked around. But I want to remind them it's not just me, it's my six kids they're kicking. And my wife, who is nothing but a saint…"

Here, his voice breaks, and it takes a few moments for him to compose himself.

There's one last thing he wants to say.

"I'm Australian, you know, and I'm gutted. I'm absolutely gutted to be in an Australian maximum-security prison with no Australian charges. My Australian family of six kids are being traumatised on behalf of a powerful big foreign power…

"I'm Australian, I'm Australian," he implores. "I'm Australian."

Reporter: Maddison Connaughton ,   Benjamin Sveen and Wing Kuang

Graphics: Emma Machan

Digital producer & editor:   Benjamin Sveen and Judy Adair

Executive Producer: Fanou Filali

Flying Kangaroo photographs courtesy The Beijinger and Jim Boyce, beijingboyce.com

RN in your inbox

Get more stories that go beyond the news cycle with our weekly newsletter.

• X (formerly Twitter)

Related Stories

Australian 'top gun' pilot speaks publicly for first time since his arrest for allegedly training chinese military pilots.

Former marine accused of training Chinese pilots loses legal battle against extradition to US

'The toll is horrendous': Wife of jailed former US marine accused of training Chinese pilots calls for his release

Former marine accused of training Chinese pilots loses bid to stop forfeiture of multi-million-dollar NSW home

Un urged to investigate former us pilot's 'degrading' australian prison conditions.

• Defence and National Security
• Law, Crime and Justice
• United States

• SI SWIMSUIT
• SI SPORTSBOOK
• DEPTH CHART

Washington Commanders Rookie Fifth-Round Linebacker Named Minicamp Surprise by ESPN

Caleb skinner | jun 28, 2024.

• Washington Commanders
• Temple Owls

The Washington Commanders are looking to turn the tide and that starts in 2024, although it's already begun. New coaching staff, new players, new schemes, almost everything happening in the DMV surrounding their beloved football team is fresh and that is exciting.

With so much to be excited about there are always points of emphasis when implementing so much newness. How will the players adapt - both veterans and rookies, how will the scheme take shape, how is the process of coming together as a team, the communication between coaching staff and players, how are those players going to fit?

READ MORE: Quan Martin Impressive at Commanders Minicamp

Some of that has played out as we have surpassed rookie minicamp and mandatory minicamp, but now we enter the long month before training camp gets underway. Despite the wait, there have already been some surprising standouts thus far, and according to ESPN's John Keim of NFL Nation that player for the Commanders is fifth-round rookie linebacker out of Temple Jordan Magee.

"It's uncertain how much playing time Magee will receive this season. But the fifth-round pick clearly made a strong first impression -- enough to where a position of weakness the past several years can now be considered a strength," Keim says. "The Commanders signed starters Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu in free agency. They already had Jamin Davis, but because of the newcomers they're trying him as an edge rusher. Magee is part of the reason for the optimism. They like how he played in coverage this spring; they also believe he showed he can be an effective blitzer. He's someone they're excited about for the future.

"The fifth-round pick clearly made a strong first impression -- enough to where a position of weakness the past several years can now be considered a strength," -  John Keim, ESPN

The uber-aggressive, high character and IQ linebacker is already making a name for himself in DC this offseason, coming in prepared to do what it takes to find the field in 2024. Magee came onto the scene for the Temple Owls during his final two seasons collecting 166 tackles, eight sacks, seven passes defended, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery playing aggressively and making plays at the line of scrimmage.

Despite being slightly buried on the depth chart, with his main duties likely filling in behind legendary middle linebacker Bobby Wagner, he should see playing time on special teams and even in relief of the aforementioned Wagner as the veteran isn't getting any younger and the team will likely want to keep him fresh as possible when he is in the game.

If Magee can maintain this path that he is on there is reason to believe that he could be one of the unheralded pieces to the turnaround of the league's worst defense under new defensive-minded head coach Dan Quinn.

READ MORE: Washington Minicamp Wrap-Up

Stick with  CommanderGameday  and the  Locked On Commanders  podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season. 

Follow   Caleb   on Twitter.

More Washington Commanders News

• Commanders Staff Changes Continuing During Dead Period

• Sam Cosmi Discusses Strange Rule from 2024 Offense

• Coaches Responsible for Commanders Connection says Terry McLaurin

• Jayden Daniels Ranked Among Rookie QBs

• New Commanders Offense Playing With Energy

CALEB SKINNER

Caleb is from Nashville, TN, and graduated from Florida State University in 2018 with majors in Sociology and History. He has previously written for an FSU outlet and started covering the Buccaneers in March of 2022 while co-hosting the Hear the Cannons podcast. He expanded his role with GamedayMedia by covering the Houston Texans and Washington Commanders in April of 2024. You can follow Caleb on Twitter @chsnole

Follow chsnole

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

U.S. Track & Field Olympic Trials Results

• Copy Link copied

At Hayward Field

Eugene, ore., hammer throw.

1, Daniel Haugh, New York AC, 79.51m. 2, Rudy Winkler, New York AC, 78.89. 3, Justin Stafford, Tracksmith/South Bay Athletic, 77.07. 4, Tyler Williams, Tracksmith, Garage Strength, 76.55. 5, Jordan Geist, Iron Wood TC, 76.30. 6, Tarik O’Hagan, Mississippi, 74.54. 7, Israel Oloyede, unattached, 74.32. 8, Alex Young, unattached, 73.63. 9, Trey Knight, unattached, 73.63. 10, Tyler Merkley, unattached, 72.86. 11, Morgan Shigo, Velaasa, 71.94. 12, Isaiah Rogers, Throw 1 Deep Club, 70.13.

1, Shelby McEwen, Nike, 2.30m. 2, Caleb Snowden, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 2.27. 3, Tyus Wilson, Nebraska, 2.24. 4, JuVaughn Harrison, Puma, 2.24. 5, Corvell Todd, unattached, 2.21. 6, Jaivon Harrison, Grand Valley State, 2.21. 6, Kyle rollins, Garden State TC, 2.21. 8, Tito Alofe, Harvard, 2.16. 10, Devin Loudermilk, Kansas, 2.16. 10, Earnest Sears, Nevada Gazelles, 2.16.

1, Grant Fisher, Nike, 13:08.85. 2, Abdihamid Nur, Nike, 13:09.01. 3, Parker Wolfe, North Carolina, 13:10.75. 4, Graham Blanks, New Balance, 13:12.61. 5, Dylan Jacobs, On, 13:17.26. 6, Sean McGorty, Nike/Bowerman TC, 13:18.27. 7, Cole Hocker, Nike, 13:20.99. 8, Ahmed Muhumed, HOKA NAZ Elite, 13:29.23. 9, Woody Kincaid, Nike, 13:31.40. 10, Olin Hacker, HOKA NAZ Elite, 13:32.10. 11, Morgan Beadlescomb, adidas, 13:37.69. 12, Cooper Teare, Nike, 13:42.50. 13, Willy Fink, Under Armour, 13:43.32. 14, Eric van der Els, ZAP Endurance, 13:50.66. 15, Kasey Knevebaard, Under Armour, 13:51.29. 16, Sam Prakel, adidas, 14:17.87.

1, Bryce Hoppel, adidas, 1:42.77. 2, 2, Hobbs Kessler, adidas, 1:43.64. 3, Brandon Miller, Brooks/Brooks Beast TC, 1:43.97. 4, Josh Hoey, adidas, 1:44.12. 5, Jonah Koech, Under Armour, 1:44.32. 6, Shane Cohen, Virginia, 1:44.65. 7, Clayton Murphy, Nike, 1:44.80. 8, Abraham Alvarado, unattached, 1:44.90. 9, Tinoda Matsatsa, Georgetown, 1:45.70.

400m Hurdles

1, Rai Benjamin, Nike, 46.46. 2, CJ Allen, Asics, 47.81. 3, Trevor Bassitt, unattached, 47.82. 4, Chris Robinson, Alabama, 47.96. 5, James Smith, Arizona Flames TC, 49.18. 6, Aldrich Bailey, U.S. Army, 49.73. 7, David Kendziera, unattached, 49.84. 8, Khallifah Rosser, Nike, 53.18.

Triple Jump

1, Salif Mane, Fairleigh Dickinson, 17.52m. 2, Russell Robinson, Miami, 17.07. 3, Donald Scott, adidas, 16.87. 4, Omar Craddock, Arizona Cheetahs TC, 16.84. 5, Sean Dixon-Bodie, Florida, 16.80. 6, William Claye, New York AC, 16.73. 7, Chris Carter, unattached, 16.46. 8, James Carter, unattached, 16.36. 10, Christian Taylor, Nike, 16.32. 11, Brandon Green, Oklahoma, 16.26. 12, Kyvon Tatham, Florida State, 15.64.

1, Bridget Williams, unattached, 4.73m. 2, Katie Moon, Nike, 4.73. 3, Brynn King, Roberts Wesleyan, 4.73. 4, Sandi Morris, Puma, 4.68. 5, Amanda Moll, Washington, 4.63. 6, Hana Moll, Washington, 4.63. 7, Chloe Timberg, Rutgers, 4.63. 8, Gabriela Leon, Puma, 4.53. 9, Riley Felts, Charlotte, 4.43. 9, Riley Felts, unattached, 4.43. 9, Emily Grove, 4.43. 11, Rachel Baxter, unattached, 4.43. 11, Kristen Leland, unattached, 4.43. 13, Marissa Kalsey, unattached, 4.43.

Javelin Throw

1, Maggie Malone Hardin, New York AC, 64.58m., 2, Kara Winger, Tracksmith/NYAC, 62.94. 3, Madison Wiltrout, unattached, 61.17. 4, Avione Allgood, Throwers Respect, 57.52. 5, Maddie Harris, Nebraska, 56.21. 6, Evie Bliss, Bucknell, 55.82. 7, Jada Green, Colorado, 54.80. 8, Casey Bogues, Dayton, 53.68. 9, Shea Greene, Princeton, 53.57. 10, Skylar Ciccolini, Missouri, 48.38. 11, Julia Campezato, 48.05.

100m Hurdles

1, Masai Russell, Nike, 12.25. 2, Alaysha Johnson, More Sports MG, 12.31. 3, Grace Stark, adidas, 12.31. 4, Nia Ali, Nike, 12.37. 5, Tonea Marshall, Nike, 12.38. 6, Keni Harrison, adidas, 12.39. 7, Christina Clemons, Doritos, 12.61. 8, Talie Bonds, unattached, 12.85. 9, Alia Armstrong, LSU, 12.89.

1, Nikki Hiltz, lululemon, 3:55.33. 2, Emily Mackay, New Balance Boston, 3:55.90. 3, Elle St. Pierre, New Balance Boston, 3:55.99. 4, Sinclaire Johnson, Nike/Nike Union AC, 3:56.75. 5, Cory McGee, New Balance, 3:57.44. 6, Elise Cranny, Nike, 3:57.87. 7, Heather MacLean, New Balance/New Balance Boston, 3:58.31. 8, Helen Schlachtenhaufen, Nike, 3:59.71. 9, Dani Jones, New Balance, 4:04.14. 10, Christina Aragon, Nike/Bowerman, 4:06.54. 11, Addy Wiley, adidas, 4:06.59. 12, Maggi Congdon, Northern Arizona, 4:08.45.

1, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, New Balance, 50.65. 2, Anna Cockrell, Nike, 52.64. 3, Jasmine Jones, adidas, 52.77. 4, Shamier Little, adidas, 52.98. 5, Rachel Glenn, Arkansas, 53.46. 6, Dalilah Muhammad, Nike, 54.27. 7, Akala Garret, Texas, 55.01. 8, Cassandra Tate, unattached, 55.37. 9, Sydni Townsend, Houston, 55.47.