July 21
July 21, 2009Louise Fanguy Buquet
July 23, 2009
As gray clouds hovered overhead at Nicholls State University’s John L. Guidry Stadium, the almost 150 campers at the Pro Football Combine Camp weren’t fazed by the threat of rain.
Nearly all the schools in the Tri-parishes, as well as several schools from the New Orleans area, were represented. Throughout the day, athletes ran an array of drills, training exercises and fundamentals, the exact drills done by the NFL players who served as coaches for the event.
Just one week after the Manning family graced the fields of the Thibodaux campus, another set of professional players came to offer their knowledge to high school athletes. In all, eight NFL players, including six former LSU Tigers, volunteered their services to help the young athletes.
In attendance were New England Patriots defensive end Jarvis Green, New York Jets defensive tackle Howard Green, Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Herman Johnson, New England Patriots linebacker Eric Alexander, Chicago Bears linebacker Kevin Payne, New Orleans Saints wide receiver Skyler Green, Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Greg Fassitt and Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Travis Daniels, all clients of the event’s sponsor, Elias Sports Management.
For Jarvis Green in particular, the camp was a chance to return home. But most of all, it was a chance to give back to area athletes that makes the trip special.
“It’s always good to come home,” the Donaldsonville native said. “It looks like we had about 150 kids out here and that says a lot. They could be home right now watching TV, eating a bowl of cereal, but instead they are out here working to try to get better. To be a part of this is a great experience.”
“We’ve had great numbers and great support,” he added. “Hopefully we can get as big as the Manning Camp to the area.”
The day started for the campers with the Nike SPARQ training.
After a brief break, the campers were greeted by the professionals, who broke the campers up into positions and went through various drills.
In the end, the day was a success to all in attendance, despite rain pelting the end of the camp.
Albert Elias of Elias Sports Management Agency said, after the inaugural camp a year ago, he felt this year’s camp ran a little more smoothly.
“We knew what we were doing now,” he admitted. “We’ve come a long way but this camp was a huge success. We’re looking forward to making this even bigger.”
For Skyler Green, it was a chance to pass on knowledge that had been passed on to him from his coaches.
“It’s a great experience to show the kids what we learned from our coaches then to come back out here and give them the opportunity to learn what we learned every day,” he said. “It’s also to help them better their careers and try to help them along the way.”
Daniels added that the purpose of the entire day was to show how much hard work pays off and that local athletes from small towns can achieve their dreams of playing in the pros.
“Working hard is definitely going to be the key,” he said. “Whatever it is, whether it’s football or whatever they have a future in, we just want to show them a lot of different techniques. It’s not too long ago we were in these shoes going through camps. It’s a lot of good teaching for them.”
For Thibodaux High teammates Nigel Robinson and Cartel Murray, the camp brought out the importance of doing the small things.
Both agreed that having the pros out with them on the field was the best part of the day.
“It’s a chance to learn from the best,” Murray said. “It’s great being out here with these guys who take the time to work with us and make us better football players.”
“It’s all about fundamentals and learning why we do what we do,” Robinson said. “It’s a good learning experience, and the pros are very helpful and I got a Iot out of it.”
Being on the field at the same time brought back memories for all the former LSU Tigers. Most were teammates at some point. It was a chance for them to rekindle old bonds and share the field for at least one more day.
Come Monday, the athletes were all back with their own teams, preparing for their upcoming seasons.
“I love Louisiana, I miss the people, I miss the food and I even miss the weather,” Jarvis Green said. “Anytime you can see familiar faces and hang out with old teammates doing something like this, it’s always fun.”
Former New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Greg Fassitt works with a Thibodaux High athlete Friday afternoon during the 2nd annual Pro Football Combine Camp. Fassitt was one of eight coaches with NFL experience who passed on his knowledge to the 150 campers. * Photo by KYLE CARRIER
