Shasta County athletes treated to football camp with NFL wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster

Foothill High School wide receiver Chris Hall and 75 athletes listened to an excited voice deliver a soliloquy of life filled with anecdotes and advice on how to become a successful football player.

Adorning USC Trojans gloves and a sideways ball cap stood the sweaty face of Super Bowl LVII champion and New England Patriots wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster, who had just finished coaching his second camp of the day at Bill Johnson Community Stadium in Palo Cedro on Saturday.

Over 275 athletes between the ages of 8-18 attended the one-day camp hosted at Foothill High School.

Smith-Schuster was in Shasta County helping assist his former USC teammate Soma Vainuku. Vainuku was a fullback who played at USC from 2012-2015 before signing as an undrafted rookie by the Houston Texans in 2016.

Vainuku, who grew up in Eureka, now lives in Redding and owns P.R.O. Athletics — a sports training and conditioning program located on the corner of Court Street and Sonoma Street.

Smith-Schuster and Vainuku bonded as teammates and formed a close relationship that still exists today.

"I just love Soma's energy and passion," Smith-Schuster said. "He's a guy that cares a lot about the community, about helping kids and I was just here to support him. This is an area that doesn't receive too many eyes and exposure. It was great that we were able to give these kids this opportunity."

Vainuku led Smith-Schuster, who instructed wide receivers and defensive backs. Also helping coach the star-studded camp was former Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina Panthers and UCLA defensive end Jacob Tuioti-Mariner, former USC and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Max Wittek and former Fresno State defensive lineman Nate Madsen.

Foothill High School head coach Ross Griffith assisted the camp with Cougars defensive line coach Adam Doeker and junior varsity assistant Joe Jones.

"I wanted to create a camp and environment where kids had to compete," Vainuku said. "They had to push, they had to drive and work for everything on that field. It was a good day."

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Athletes who attended the Elite Skills Academy Camp worked out in temperatures of up to 106 degrees last Saturday. The Redding summer heat did little to hamper the excitement of the camp of coaches and athletes.

"Competition is always going to exist whether you're on the football field or not," Vainuku said. "You're going to have to compete for jobs and you have to learn how to work it at every stage."

Smith-Schuster focused on helping players become more creative with their route running. Foothill senior wide receiver Chris Hall learned how to perform the "hezzy shuffle" from Smith-Schuster. The move was designed to create leverage so a receiver can release into the open field, Smith-Schuster said.

"One thing I noticed is that players (in Shasta County) tend to follow a pattern and perform the same moves over and over," Smith-Schuster said. "You have to get creative and be inventive. This was just one of those moves that I've learned and helped pass along."

Clark, who was born in Redding and attended Foothill as a freshman before moving to Texas, said he'll be using the skills he learned from the camp and apply them to his games this upcoming season.

"I learned a ton in the football aspect of the game, but I also learned to take nothing for granted," Clark said. "One of the top receivers in the league and one of my role models helped make me better."

Vainuku's goal was to help football players from Redding receive exposure to Smith-Schuster and other athletes who have never visited Shasta County.

"We have great talent here," Vainuku said. "I'm not sure if it's going to translate to the NFL necessarily. The goal is to help these kids receive a free education whether they are attending a Division I, Division II, Division III or NAIA school. It's good to compete and succeed at all levels."

Smith-Schuster left Redding with a positive experience of both the athletes who participated and the coaches who worked the camp.

"It was an eye-opener for sure," Smith-Schuster said. "It was very hot, the weather wasn't great and the players kept working. There were a lot of guys out there putting the extra work in. Shoutout to Foothill for putting on a great camp."

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster coaches Redding youth athletes