Willis McGahee holds football camp at Fontana Miller

Former Denver Broncos running back Willis McGahee hosted his first youth football camp in California on Sunday at A.B. Miller High School in Fontana.
McGahee, who played 11 years in the NFL as a running back, wanted to try something new with his camp this year.

“I have done camps in Miami because I am from Florida, so it has always been there,” McGahee explained. “I thought why not expand and think outside the box.”

The Florida native was not sure what to expect when he decided to host a camp in the Inland Empire.

“It is a great experience, especially not being from this area, I did not know what the turnout would be,” he said.

McGahee was not the only person at the camp with NFL experience, Denver Broncos safety T.J. Ward also attended McGahee’s camp as a coach. Ward and McGahee were teammates on the Cleveland Browns during the 2013 NFL season.

The NFL players partnered up with Miller football coach Justin Nast and his staff during the event.

“It was different (from previous camps),” McGahee said. “The coaches were really into it and helped me do things and showed me the way out here.”

The coaches broke up the participants into groups based on their football positions.

One of the participants was A.B. Miller linebacker Brian Martin, who was excited about the opportunity to take part in the camp activities with NFL players.

“I never did a camp before, so it was awesome to meet them and learn from their experiences,” Martin said. “They were very helpful and I plan to use some of the skills I learned during practice.”

Nast was happy that he was able to partner up with McGahee to bring a camp to the high school and San Bernardino County.

“Willis did a great job interacting with not only our kids, but also with the kids in the community,” Nast said. “We have a lot of great football around here and it is great to get recognized by such a high profile-star here.”

Nast also expressed how events such as this can provide positive outcomes and moments for the community.

“Our football team over the last couple of years has taken our shots and lumps, but giving our kids opportunities to be involved with players like this make it worthwhile,” he said.

An example that Nast shared was when Miller football player Marcus Cobian got the chance to meet his NFL idol, T.J. Ward.

“He got to meet T.J. Ward today, and that is one of the coolest things because his face dropped when he saw him walking onto the football field,” Nast said. “Those are moments and things you cannot get anywhere else, and that is why I love coaching and being here at Miller.”

The age of the campers ranged from ages eight to 18. The camp also saw football players travel from schools such as Moreno Valley Rancho Verde and Walnut to take part in the activities.

“It was a nice turnout — we had some high school kids and some younger kids out here,” McGahee said. “It was truly a blessing.”

At the conclusion of the football camp, McGahee preached to the campers about listening to their parents, teachers and coaches. He also told them that they should really be focused on their studies in the classroom at this age.

McGahee also told the campers that he plans to return to the University of Miami to finish his academic path in forensic science.

“I left early my junior year to pursue a dream I had of playing in the NFL,” he said.

He wanted to make kids aware that education is the key to success.

(sbsun.com)