June 23, 2019 at 04:24AM
Buy Photo Former LSU standout Morris Claiborne earns a laugh at his Saturday camp. (Photo: Jimmy Watson/The Times)
Bryson "Cheeseburger" LaCaze talks about Brandon Wilson camp Jimmy Watson, jwatson@shreveporttimes.com
Area football aficionados found a double-dip of pleasure on Saturday with youth football camps operated by two of Shreveport's finest under blistering heat on just the second day of summer.
Former Fair Park All-Stater Morris Claiborne welcomed a couple hundred youngsters to his eighth annual camp at Independence Stadium, but his camp offered a new twist.
"This is my first year bringing in the cheerleading part to it," Claiborne said. "It's been fun to be out here with the kids each and every year – to motivate them and to let them know that know matter where you come from, you don't have to go with what we're surrounded by."
Morris Claiborne, Brandon Wilson camps Jimmy Watson, jwatson@shreveporttimes.com
Claiborne, a two-time Times Male Athlete of the Year, had a good reason for adding cheerleaders to his camp program.
"I have four girls and one boy and I love'em to death," said Claiborne, an LSU All-American and Jim Thorpe Award winner. "It made me wonder why I'm just doing this for the boys, although girls are welcome to join the football camp. I wanted to make the girls part of it. We had a good turnout today. It surprised me. I had some girls here that I personally went and got from cheerleading. Everyone is willing to do whatever they want. We're just here to have a good time."
Buy Photo Cincinnati Bengals safety Brandon Wilson poses with his inaugural camp attendees Saturday at Calvary bearing his name. (Photo: Jimmy Watson/The Times)
About 50 cheerleaders were in the coolness of the Independence Stadium locker rooms practicing their routines while hearing talks from former Evangel athletes Tyra Cobb, along with Maddie and Megan Laboy.
Just across town, Calvary's rip-your-head-off safety Brandon Wilson welcomed a couple hundred football lovers to his inaugural camp on the field where he starred before moving on to Houston and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Calvary's Joseph Wilson talks about his brother, Brandon Wilson Jimmy Watson, jwatson@shreveporttimes.com
"We're just trying to give kids hope – letting them know they can reach their hopes and aspirations," Wilson told The Times. "You can do whatever you want in life if you work hard, have respect and have good character."
Both Claiborne and Wilson operated split camps with the younger kids working out until about noon before bringing on the high school kids in the afternoon.
"I didn't want it to be too many kids and us be overwhelmed as coaches," Wilson said.
One of the Wilson camp attendees was Bryson "Cheeseburger" LaCaze, who talked about his favorite food so much he was awarded the nickname.
Buy Photo Maddie Laboy, Tyra Cobb and Meagan Laboy worked at the Morris Claiborne football camp Saturday at Independence Stadium. (Photo: Jimmy Watson/The Times)
"I like doing all the fun stuff here and listening to the coaches," LaCaze said.
Claiborne-camp attendees included potential future Airline quarterback Chase Williams, a fifth-grader at Stockwell Elementary.
"Basically, I love football, so I'm coming to all these camps," Williams said. "If I throw the ball and they catch it and run for a lot of yardage, it will make my rushing yardage go up – that's why I like playing quarterback."
Stockwell's Chase Williams talks about the Morris Claiborne football camp Jimmy Watson, jwatson@shreveporttimes.com
Both pro athletes brought a message of inspiration to their charges, but Claiborne closed his talk with this caveat about the roads a youngster can travel, which aren't always good.
"There are other options you can take," he said. "You just have to be strong enough to go with them."
Twitter: @JimmyWatson6
Buy Photo Former LSU standout Morris Claiborne earns a laugh at his Saturday camp. (Photo: Jimmy Watson/The Times)
Bryson "Cheeseburger" LaCaze talks about Brandon Wilson camp Jimmy Watson, jwatson@shreveporttimes.com
Area football aficionados found a double-dip of pleasure on Saturday with youth football camps operated by two of Shreveport's finest under blistering heat on just the second day of summer.
Former Fair Park All-Stater Morris Claiborne welcomed a couple hundred youngsters to his eighth annual camp at Independence Stadium, but his camp offered a new twist.
"This is my first year bringing in the cheerleading part to it," Claiborne said. "It's been fun to be out here with the kids each and every year – to motivate them and to let them know that know matter where you come from, you don't have to go with what we're surrounded by."
Morris Claiborne, Brandon Wilson camps Jimmy Watson, jwatson@shreveporttimes.com
Claiborne, a two-time Times Male Athlete of the Year, had a good reason for adding cheerleaders to his camp program.
"I have four girls and one boy and I love'em to death," said Claiborne, an LSU All-American and Jim Thorpe Award winner. "It made me wonder why I'm just doing this for the boys, although girls are welcome to join the football camp. I wanted to make the girls part of it. We had a good turnout today. It surprised me. I had some girls here that I personally went and got from cheerleading. Everyone is willing to do whatever they want. We're just here to have a good time."
Buy Photo Cincinnati Bengals safety Brandon Wilson poses with his inaugural camp attendees Saturday at Calvary bearing his name. (Photo: Jimmy Watson/The Times)
About 50 cheerleaders were in the coolness of the Independence Stadium locker rooms practicing their routines while hearing talks from former Evangel athletes Tyra Cobb, along with Maddie and Megan Laboy.
Just across town, Calvary's rip-your-head-off safety Brandon Wilson welcomed a couple hundred football lovers to his inaugural camp on the field where he starred before moving on to Houston and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Calvary's Joseph Wilson talks about his brother, Brandon Wilson Jimmy Watson, jwatson@shreveporttimes.com
"We're just trying to give kids hope – letting them know they can reach their hopes and aspirations," Wilson told The Times. "You can do whatever you want in life if you work hard, have respect and have good character."
Both Claiborne and Wilson operated split camps with the younger kids working out until about noon before bringing on the high school kids in the afternoon.
"I didn't want it to be too many kids and us be overwhelmed as coaches," Wilson said.
One of the Wilson camp attendees was Bryson "Cheeseburger" LaCaze, who talked about his favorite food so much he was awarded the nickname.
Buy Photo Maddie Laboy, Tyra Cobb and Meagan Laboy worked at the Morris Claiborne football camp Saturday at Independence Stadium. (Photo: Jimmy Watson/The Times)
"I like doing all the fun stuff here and listening to the coaches," LaCaze said.
Claiborne-camp attendees included potential future Airline quarterback Chase Williams, a fifth-grader at Stockwell Elementary.
"Basically, I love football, so I'm coming to all these camps," Williams said. "If I throw the ball and they catch it and run for a lot of yardage, it will make my rushing yardage go up – that's why I like playing quarterback."
Stockwell's Chase Williams talks about the Morris Claiborne football camp Jimmy Watson, jwatson@shreveporttimes.com
Both pro athletes brought a message of inspiration to their charges, but Claiborne closed his talk with this caveat about the roads a youngster can travel, which aren't always good.
"There are other options you can take," he said. "You just have to be strong enough to go with them."
Twitter: @JimmyWatson6