Ronnie Harrison hosts annual youth football camp, focusing on giving back to the community

Ronnie Harrison was a standout football player at Florida High, starting at quarterback and safety.

He won two national titles (2015 and 2017) at Alabama.

And he was drafted into the NFL by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third round in 2018.

Yet one of Harrison's favorite achievements is giving back to the community that helped him reach his dreams.

Harrison, 26, held his fourth annual free youth football camp at Florida High Saturday morning.

More than 100 youth football players and their families attended. Harrison, who attended Florida High from kindergarten until he graduated high school, said the camps is all about giving back to the place that shaped him.

"It means the most to me, that's all I want to do is give back," Harrison said.

"I've been through so much to get to this level and I've had so many people that have helped me, especially at this school, you know i was here K-12, so being able to come back here to where it all started and being able to give back to other kids who are in my shoes now, it's everything to me."

Harrison spent most of the camp running drills for the young players, giving tips to defenders and throwing passes during some one-on-one drills. Campers from elementary school to high school ages populated the field at Mike Hickman Stadium.

Harrison hopes his camp shows the kids that they can follow in his footsteps.

"You want to get back in front of the kids and let them know that people that come from the same area, have the same living situations and the same type of backgrounds can make it," Harrison said. "For me to come back in front of these kids and they come up to me and are like "Oh you are in the NFL and this is you on the shirt" it means everything to me."

Members of the Florida High football coaching staff and recent Florida High graduate and wide receiver Brooks Hickman helped run drills and set up the camp.

Seminoles coach Jarrod Hickman said Harrison embodies what he and his staff want out of their players.

"I think it shows that you're doing things right," Hickman said. "We have a lot of guys that give back, and certainly Ron [Harrison], he's one of the most well-known, and he's taking the time out of his day to not only get back to the City of Tallahassee but also our school and program."

"You feel like you had a big impact in his life, and that we did it the right way and raised him right."

Hickman coached Harrison at Florida High and watched him grow through the school's system. He felt it was important that area kids saw that they could become like Harrison. The free camp provided an opportunity for kids in the area that might not have had the chance to compete at other paid camps.

"It's awesome, I think it gives them a chance to say dream big, I mean a kid hears from Ronnie that you know didn't have a ton growing up and then watch him really earn and become a great person and student," Hickman said. "He's an example these kids can see and they think if I work hard maybe someday I can end up where he [Harrison] is."

Part of Harrison's entourage at the youth camp were his friends and his family, including his young son, something that made this year's camp extra special to him.

"I've got the best family in the world and the best friends in the world, the same friends you see out here helping out, we went to school together and have been friends for life," Harrison said. "I have my son out here for the first time, he's got to experience everything, and it's really all coming together, it's just a dream."

Harrison is entering his sixth season in the NFL, most recently playing with the Cleveland Browns in 2022.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: NFL safety Ronnie Harison hosts annual youth football camp