New Orleans– Redskins running back, Rob Kelley, returned to his hometown and college turf at Tulane Saturday to host his free youth football combine. “Fat Rob” was joined by a few of his peers in the NFL, along with Green Wave staff and players, all happy for the chance to share their knowledge of football with the kids.
“It just feels good to give back,” Kelley said. “And also, I know when I was growing-up I experienced going to a lot of free youth camps. I enjoyed it and also my parents enjoyed it. They didn’t have to come out of their pockets with anything so I think it’s a great opportunity for everybody on each side.”
“It’s just great to see a guy giving back to the community,” said Tulane Head Football Coach, Willie Fritz. “I didn’t get a chance to coach Rob but I’ve gotten to know him. He comes back to Tulane all the time. It’s just awesome to see him out here with a bunch of his former teammates, some of the guys that are playing in the NFL. They’re a really close group.”
Meanwhile, across town at Tad Gormley Stadium, Raven’s linebacker Anthony Levine was hosting a summer football clinic of his own. He rounded-up a noteworthy group of NFL guys, including Kareem Hunt, Lardarius Webb and Brandon Carr, who were eager to help out.
“When I reached-out to the guys, I reached-out to Kareem,” Levine said. “He was on-board. Brandon Carr, all the guys, Lardarius Webb, all the guys that are out here today. We’ve got Kareem Hunt out here, the leading rusher in the NFL, you know? But it’s great. These guys, when I asked them to come, they came-through. So it’s love.”
“I actually had my football camp down at Nicholls State,” Webb said. “That’s where I graduated. I had it a month ago. So Louisiana is kind of part of our project– me and Anthony Levine. We take the kids serious. We just want to come and help change their thought process, change their confidence. We just want to come out and give our time to kind of change these kids lives.”
Levine put-on the free event through his non-profit, the 4Every1 Foundation. The football camp is just part of the bigger initiative of the foundation, which is to help at-risk youth through mentorship and educational opportunities.
“It’s important because I come from a single parent home,” Levine said. “My mom, she did her best to raise us and I’ve got to give back. Now that I’ve made it where I’m at, I’m successful, somebody’s got to give back. Somebody’s got to let these kids know there’s a brighter day tomorrow.”