Bucs' Winslow helps Eagles soar

BEALSVILLE - A severe setback for the Plant City Eagles youth football league led to a helping hand from a Tampa Bay Buccaneer, who invited the team to join his weekend football camp.

The setback occurred earlier this year when someone stole football uniforms, other equipment and food from the team's 1,500-square-foot combination concession stand/storage building at its Bealsville home field east of Plant City.

"Back in March, our concession stand got hit pretty bad," said William Thomas Jr., a volunteer who handles the Eagles public relations. "It totaled about $10,000," he said of the loss and damages.

"They came in with a truck and backed it up to the concession stand," he said. "You could see the tracks where they pulled up there and took their time" loading everything from jerseys, helmets and other football gear to frozen foods, other concession items, plus electronics.

Word of the unfortunate loss reached one of the team sponsors, Bright House Networks, which operates Bay News 9, and the cable station did a story on the theft.

"Our information got to the Buccaneers, and we got a call from One Buc Place," Thomas said. "The next thing we know we had scholarships for the kids to attend football camp compliments of Kellen Winslow," Thomas said.
The Bucs' newly acquired tight end, Kellen Winslow Jr., put on the three-day camp for about 200 youngsters, ages 8 through 18, including about 30 from Plant City.

The June 19 to 21 camp focused on fundamental football skills, including hands-on instruction from Winslow, assisted by Bucs teammates, coaches from top local high schools and area colleges.

Tomlin Middle School student Quay Young was among the Plant City players excited about the opportunity to polish football skills at the camp One Buc Place, the Buccaneers training headquarters.

"My mama asked me if I wanted to come today, and I jumped out of bed and I said yes," the 12-year-old said. Over lunch with teammates, the young running back expressed his dream of someday playing in the NFL, preferably with the Jacksonville Jaguars or the Buccaneers.

Kemmy Burton, 9, an Eagles running back and wide receiver for two years, shares similar dreams. "I just want to be a professional player," he said. He'd love to play for the Indianapolis Colts, "Because Peyton Manning is my favorite player, and they have a good record."

Like his teammates, Kemmy was enduring opening-day drills and workouts during the especially humid weather and looking forward to the tournament game that wrapped up the camp, held from midmorning to 3:30 p.m. each day.

"You should give back to your community," Winslow said during a midday break. As a child, Winslow said, he attended similar football camps such as the one he offers. Other scholarships to the camp were awarded through the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay.

Winslow, acquired from the Cleveland Browns on Feb. 27, signed a Bucs contract in April that will pay him $36.1 million over six years. He is considered as one of the NFL's top tight ends.

Meanwhile, the Eagles are struggling to replace the stolen gear. "We have some uniforms, and we're conducting fundraising," including chicken dinners, to replace more, Thomas said. "There's an effort under way in the community to help us recoup some of our losses," and some local nonprofit groups made donations, he said.
Enrollment in the Plant City youth football league was 249 last season, 320 counting the cheerleading program, he said.

Lighting and security at the home field at the Bealsville Recreation Center, 5009 Nesmith Road, have been improved since the theft, Thomas said. Though authorities obtained some fingerprints at the scene, there have been no arrests, he said.

"We had that concession stand up and running to where we figured another year and we'd be self-sufficient," but the theft "set us back about two or three years," Thomas said. "We're definitely hurting."

To contact the team or make a tax-deductible donation, call (813) 737-1352 or go to www.plantcityeagles.com.



(tbo.com)