'This is the fun part': Hall of Famers, kids share in the joy at Play Football Skills Camp
CANTON — Marshall Faulk, one of the NFL’s all-time leading rushers, continues to enjoy football.
The Pro Football Hall of Famer still manages to have fun and make a lasting impact even long after he last played the game.
That's why Faulk enjoyed being one of six Hall of Famers helping out Tuesday night in the Play Football Skills Camp at the ForeverLawn Sports Complex.
“Being a part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame is one of the best honors you could ever receive,” Faulk said. “This is the fun part because now I get to see generations of kids that grow and continue to make the game what it is.”
Faulk, Hall of Fame Class of 2011, was able to have many significant interactions with the youth players.
This is the seventh year the Hall of Fame Village put on the Play Football Skills Camp. Around 300 children were able to learn from Faulk and fellow Hall of Famers Robert Brazile, John Randle, Warren Sapp, Will Shields and Andre Tippett. Also present were coaches from Walsh University and Jackson and Shelby high schools.
Each young athlete was able to rotate through six 15-minute stations, each teaching a new developmental skill of the game.
Some of the other Hall of Famers mentioned the biggest lessons for the youth to take away would be to enjoy the game of football and develop lifelong friendships with the people around them.
There were also high school football players who were given the opportunity to help instruct the kids and interact with the other coaches and Hall of Famers.
“It has been pretty fun to experience. Meeting John Randle has been cool, too,” Jackson High School junior Nolan Foster said.
Shelby High School senior Amareon Russell noted the skills many of the athletes can take away from Tuesday, “I hope that these kids can become more physical, faster, and learn different fundamentals of the game.”
The young athletes themselves enjoyed the skills camp for many different reasons. Both Caroline and Braylon Riski are from the Canton area and have done the camp the past few years.
“It’s really fun and I enjoy getting stronger,” Caroline Riski said. Braylon Riski also mentioned that meeting all of the professional football players was a highlight for him.
These youth players were mostly from Northeast Ohio. However, some traveled further to attend the camp.
Each year, a Hail Mary Award is given to the player who traveled the furthest to attend. This year, that recipient was Gareth Gier from Katy, Texas. He received an autographed football signed by all of the Hall of Famers present at the event.
“We were just coming to visit my grandma and saw that there was a camp here,” Gier said. “I was really surprised (to receive this award).”
The emphasis on having fun and creating memories were what made this camp one to remember.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Play Football Skills Camp brings Hall of Famers together with kids
