DukeWoody
06-18-2008, 09:52 AM
Broncos Giving Back
Brandon Marshall played around with campers Tuesday, giving lessons for on and off the field.
http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=8096
By Gray Caldwell
DenverBroncos.com
AURORA, Colo. -- Two Broncos spent their evening back on a high school football field.
Brandon Marshall and Chad Mustard took part in the second day of the NFL's Junior Player Development camp Tuesday. The pair of pros spoke with a group of over 175 campers at Hinkley High School who ranged in age from 12 to 14, and helped with drills during practice afterward.
Billy Richardson, director of the camp, said having the athletes out is an important part of the experience for the campers.
"What it means to the kids for the stars to come, it's like a boost," Richardson said. "It's like, 'That's the goal I'm trying to achieve.'"
This was the second year of the camp in Aurora, one of four JPD camps in Colorado and more than 220 across the nation. Richardson said what sets the JPD program apart from similar camps is the fact that it incorporates life skills. "It's not all about catching a ball," as he put it.
Marshall said the camp is something that he has and will make a priority to be a part of every year.
"We're always looking for something and some way to give back to the community," said Marshall, who also spoke at last year's camp. "And just sitting here thinking, it's like, why not go to youth football? That's where I started, and it would have been lovely if there was a guy in the NFL or even in college that came out and spoke a few words or came out and just showed their support."
Marshall and Mustard showed their support Tuesday, doing everything from helping players perform a stretch correctly, handing the ball off to young running backs in one drill and showing players how to get a quick jump off the line in another.
Mustard, who plans on becoming a math teacher after he is finished in the NFL, said it is important to him to get to kids early to help them make the right decisions.
"For me, with my background in education, I understand and from personal experience too that kids just need something to care about, connect with, and kind of get them on the right track," he said. "I know when I was the same age I was getting in trouble, making bad decisions and I found athletics, I found sports and I found something to care about. Hopefully these kids will do the same thing."
Mustard spoke to the campers about some of those things during his opening speech. He tried to convey to the kids that he is just like him, and that if they keep their heads right they can get where they want to be. Marshall spoke with the kids about getting good grades and staying on the right track, even calling up campers who remembered him and what he spoke about last year.
Trying to show the kind of dedication it takes to get where he is, Marshall asked the campers how much they thought his black Hummer in the parking lot cost. The first camper he called up tossed out a guess of $3,000, met with chuckles from the crowd of parents gathered in the bleachers. Then Marshall called up another camper who remembered the correct answer, "Hard work."
Marshall said it's important to him to be honest with the kids, to pass out good messages, but to also touch on the topics that they really need to hear about.
"I can come out here and I can preach to them about great grades and I can preach to them about it from my experience," said Marshall, who told the campers that he had at least a 3.0 average from 8th grade through college. "And I can also come out here and talk to them about community work -- I'm always in the community. But I also have to remember that these kids aren't dumb."
"I can't come out here and not talk to them about trouble," he continued. "That's why I'm here -- it's to teach them the do's and the don'ts and how to walk away from trouble. And that's one thing I'm doing now, I'm in the transition in my life now to where I can go one way -- I can go down the right path or I can continue to go down this shaky path. Not a bad person, but just always falling into something. So that's one thing that I want to preach to those guys too, let's all go down this positive path together."
Richardson said he knew that he, the campers and the parents were grateful for the athletes' presence at the camp. Richardson gave a small speech to the campers before and after the players spoke, trying to portray the importance of a strong parental influence in the children's lives. He said the athletes provide a different kind of influence, but all of it is important for the growth of the campers.
"Role models are mothers and fathers; athletes set the example of what life can be," Richardson said.
"So these athletes coming out today let these kids know this is the way to go, that your dream can come true. You need to stay focused, you need to stay on task with your grades and life will be OK."
Brandon Marshall played around with campers Tuesday, giving lessons for on and off the field.
http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=8096
By Gray Caldwell
DenverBroncos.com
AURORA, Colo. -- Two Broncos spent their evening back on a high school football field.
Brandon Marshall and Chad Mustard took part in the second day of the NFL's Junior Player Development camp Tuesday. The pair of pros spoke with a group of over 175 campers at Hinkley High School who ranged in age from 12 to 14, and helped with drills during practice afterward.
Billy Richardson, director of the camp, said having the athletes out is an important part of the experience for the campers.
"What it means to the kids for the stars to come, it's like a boost," Richardson said. "It's like, 'That's the goal I'm trying to achieve.'"
This was the second year of the camp in Aurora, one of four JPD camps in Colorado and more than 220 across the nation. Richardson said what sets the JPD program apart from similar camps is the fact that it incorporates life skills. "It's not all about catching a ball," as he put it.
Marshall said the camp is something that he has and will make a priority to be a part of every year.
"We're always looking for something and some way to give back to the community," said Marshall, who also spoke at last year's camp. "And just sitting here thinking, it's like, why not go to youth football? That's where I started, and it would have been lovely if there was a guy in the NFL or even in college that came out and spoke a few words or came out and just showed their support."
Marshall and Mustard showed their support Tuesday, doing everything from helping players perform a stretch correctly, handing the ball off to young running backs in one drill and showing players how to get a quick jump off the line in another.
Mustard, who plans on becoming a math teacher after he is finished in the NFL, said it is important to him to get to kids early to help them make the right decisions.
"For me, with my background in education, I understand and from personal experience too that kids just need something to care about, connect with, and kind of get them on the right track," he said. "I know when I was the same age I was getting in trouble, making bad decisions and I found athletics, I found sports and I found something to care about. Hopefully these kids will do the same thing."
Mustard spoke to the campers about some of those things during his opening speech. He tried to convey to the kids that he is just like him, and that if they keep their heads right they can get where they want to be. Marshall spoke with the kids about getting good grades and staying on the right track, even calling up campers who remembered him and what he spoke about last year.
Trying to show the kind of dedication it takes to get where he is, Marshall asked the campers how much they thought his black Hummer in the parking lot cost. The first camper he called up tossed out a guess of $3,000, met with chuckles from the crowd of parents gathered in the bleachers. Then Marshall called up another camper who remembered the correct answer, "Hard work."
Marshall said it's important to him to be honest with the kids, to pass out good messages, but to also touch on the topics that they really need to hear about.
"I can come out here and I can preach to them about great grades and I can preach to them about it from my experience," said Marshall, who told the campers that he had at least a 3.0 average from 8th grade through college. "And I can also come out here and talk to them about community work -- I'm always in the community. But I also have to remember that these kids aren't dumb."
"I can't come out here and not talk to them about trouble," he continued. "That's why I'm here -- it's to teach them the do's and the don'ts and how to walk away from trouble. And that's one thing I'm doing now, I'm in the transition in my life now to where I can go one way -- I can go down the right path or I can continue to go down this shaky path. Not a bad person, but just always falling into something. So that's one thing that I want to preach to those guys too, let's all go down this positive path together."
Richardson said he knew that he, the campers and the parents were grateful for the athletes' presence at the camp. Richardson gave a small speech to the campers before and after the players spoke, trying to portray the importance of a strong parental influence in the children's lives. He said the athletes provide a different kind of influence, but all of it is important for the growth of the campers.
"Role models are mothers and fathers; athletes set the example of what life can be," Richardson said.
"So these athletes coming out today let these kids know this is the way to go, that your dream can come true. You need to stay focused, you need to stay on task with your grades and life will be OK."