NFL Player Jaycee Horn hosts football camp at Shannon High
SHANNON, Miss. (WCBI) – NFL players from the state find ways to give back whenever possible.
Whether they were born and raised in Mississippi or just lived there for a stint, players strive to uplift the community.
NFL Pro-Bowl Cornerback Jaycee Horn hosted his inaugural football camp at Shannon High School.
Community leaders are always looking for ways to motivate young people.
In Shannon, they’re doing it with football and professional help.
Carolina Panthers’ Jaycee Horn hosted his inaugural football camp at Mike Scott Field.
The NFL player wanted to give back to the place he once lived.
“Throughout that whole time, I was back and forth to Mississippi on the weekends,” Horn said. “My grandparents were up here, and we were into church heavy. I actually came out here in my 9th grade year and went to Mooreville High School for a year because my brother went to JUCO at Northeast. So, I spent a year out here in school. Like I said, Mississippi is like a second home to me. I know it’s a lot of dogs out here that don’t get the recognition because it is a small state.”
The camp was free and open to youth of all ages.
Those involved said they are glad to see young people gain knowledge from a professional athlete.
“Man, just listening to them asking him questions,” Ken Topps said. “I think they are excited to learn from an NFL player, so the fact that we have one that got roots in this area to learn from, I think they are going to soak in everything that they are going to learn today.”
“This is real big,” Rashad Shannon said. “Especially for this area and for them to choose us when they could have went to other places but it is always good to be down here in Shannon.”
There were several stations to encourage the youth about their motivation and competitiveness for the sport.
Horn said it’s important to him to bring as many opportunities to Lee County as he can.
“I’m having it in Atlanta but a lot of kids that are 7-8 years old train with me every week with my trainer,” Horn said. “They are getting that type of training at knee high, out here that don’t really have that opportunity. It’s not many DB trainers out here, receiver trainers and kids really got to get it out the mud so it was a point of emphasis for me to come back here ’cause I feel like it was really needed here.”
Parents said the event and the sport of football can teach the youth skills on and off the field.
“Just building up our young men,” Lealue Triplett said. “I know it is a football camp but they also have the section where it was like an encouragement section and I just appreciated that for them. Because it is not just focus on football but it focuses on their future as well.”
Horn said he plans to make the football camp an annual event.
