Coming off best NFL season, De'Vondre Campbell holds annual youth camp at Cypress Lake
Returning to his old stomping grounds at Cypress Lake High School, Green Bay Packers star De’Vondre Campbell tackled his annual youth camp with the same exuberance from back when he was playing for the Panthers more than a decade ago.
The well-attended camp was held on Saturday, and Campbell took a hands-on approach, personally coaching kids as they rotated through several football drills.
“It’s one of the few things that I look forward to every year— coming back home, having my camp, seeing some familiar faces, some new faces,” Campbell said. “It’s always a blessing.”
The linebacker is fresh off his best season, helping the Packers reach the playoffs and being named 2021 First-Team All-Pro. He signed a five-year, $50 million contract with the team last month.
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MORE: 'A great inspiration': De'Vondre Campbell returns to Cypress Lake to host youth camp
“It means a great deal not just to the school but to the community to come back, at the caliber that he is, to give back and show these kids the correct process, and these are the things he did at this level to get to where he’s at now, so kind of giving them some hope and inspiration,” said Betty Rodriguez, the Cypress Lake athletic director.
Rodriguez noted that the camp has become a true staple in the community.
“Parents are calling coaches, 'Hey, when is this happening? When can I get my kids signed up? How early can I get there?’ They get all excited, and it’s nice to be able to have the community back on the campus and be participating and just giving back to the community,” she said.
For Campbell, holding the event allows him to provide something he didn’t receive growing up.
“Me being able to come back, pass along as much as my knowledge as I can, just allow them to come out and have a good time, that’s what it’s all about,” he said.
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The Packers went 13-3 last year before their season came to an abrupt end in the Divisional Round of the playoffs against the San Francisco 49ers. In his first year with the team, Campbell recorded a career-high 132 tackles with two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
“We finished as a top 10 defense last year, so that’s what we know we can do, so that’s the expectation going forward is just to continue to try to improve on the foundation that we laid last year,” he said.
In the meantime, Campbell is spending his time doing what’s important to him, and returning home to benefit kids in his community says it all.
“There’s not a lot of us from the 239 that are in the NFL, so every chance that I get to come back and bestow some wisdom and just kind of show face – you know, I played here on this same field 11 years ago, so anytime I get to come back and give back, it’s something that I will and continue to do,” he said. “It means a lot to me.”
Follow News-Press Sports Reporter Dustin Levy on Twitter: @DustinBLevy. For additional coverage of sports across Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Packers' De'Vondre Campbell holds annual youth camp at Cypress Lake
