After a night on the hardwood it was back to a more familiar terrain for Terrance Copper and the rest of the NFL stars he brought with him to Washington as the Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver held a football camp sponsored by the Washington Police and Fire Depts. at the home of the Pam Pack.
The sun shined bright but the smiles on the faces of the campers beamed just a little bit brighter as they got first-hand instructions on the finer points of offensive and defensive play, as well as pointers on how to run combine-style agility drills.
“It was just great. It was great to have all these guys here working together and showing us all how to get better,” said Washington’s senior TE/DE Jack Rodman as he held on to a camp T-shirt signed by every pro in attendance. “It was just awesome. I’m glad they did it because it makes me want to work ever harder to try and get to the next level.”
Nearly 200 athletes showed up for the football camp, and while the day was one that they soon won’t forget, the same can be said for Copper. The former Pam Pack and East Carolina University star said there wasn’t one particular moment that stood out for him, but that the day itself was one to remember.
“Just the whole camp was great,” Copper said. “The whole vibe of everybody was great from the coaches all the way to the kids. I just loved it.”
The camp ran from 8 a.m. until noon and after Copper and the rest of the NFLers stayed until every autograph and piece of fan paraphernalia was signed. At the end of the day Copper said he was pleased with all aspects of the camp.
“It went awesome. We had a great turnout and I think they got well-coached today and I think they definitely enjoyed,” Copper said. “I know we enjoyed it.”
Joining Copper at Washington High School were past and present NFLers, Demane Ducket, Shaun Draughn, Dexter McCluster, Javier Arenas, Zeke Markshaunsen, Jamar Newsome, Vonta Leach, Quentin Lawrence, Phoenix Evans, Chris Chambers, Travis Daniels, Barry Richardson and Jason Hurton.
Pam Pack football coach Sport Sawyer said he was honored to have the NFL players as guests.
“I feel like we had a rare opportunity of having several NFL stars on the field. That doesn’t happen often,” Sawyer said. “We feel privileged to have them here working with our guys.”
While the camp focused on several aspects of the game, one theme held true for every drill: the importance of fundamentals.
“We definitely wanted to go back to fundamentals and the basics of everything,” said Copper, who is heading into his ninth year in the NFL. “In order to build a strong house you have to have a great foundation and that’s what we want to install in these kids. The quicker you can install fundamentals in a child the better off they will be.”