Simmons hosts event for top high school seniors

 

 

With the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University football team’s preseason practice just weeks away, the team’s practice field hasn’t been completely abandoned. Head coach Willie Simmons and FAMU’s Athletic Department held its inaugural Willie Simmons Elite Football Prospect Camp on Sunday.

More than 200 high school football players from all over the state and even some from out of state traveled to the highest of seven hills to showcase their skills and talents.

As a result of the bad weather in the area the start of the camp was delayed a bit, but afterwards the camp was able to proceed as planned. The camp included evaluations of quarterback mechanics, footwork drills, three-point alignment, route running, conditioning, as well as other various football techniques ending with a Gatorade award to the best all-round player who excelled on the field not only physically but also mentally and energetically.

“The camp was a great opportunity for FAMU to show off its new coaching staff and all that we have to offer. This was the first FAMU football camp on campus in over a decade and we take pride in being able to bring it back,” Orlando McKinley, senior cornerback said “If I could change anything I would’ve made the camp an overnight camp and let the high school athletes stay the night in a dorm and get a feeling of living in college.”

Jibreel Hazly, a senior linebacker, said, “My overall take of the camp was great, I thought the turn out was bigger than expected. A lot of kids competed hard and showed me how blessed I am to be a Rattler.”

In June, Simmons hosted his first weeklong summer camp providing different opportunities for skill development for players ranging from the first grade to the eighth grade. This camp was mainly a beginner’s camp focusing on the basic skills of football including running, passing, catching and other different skills.