Witten Football Camp - Witten reaches out to youth
Originally posted by Steve Noah from a sport forum:
ELIZABETHTON — Youngsters choosing Jason Witten for a role model are in good hands. And there are plenty of them.
With 600 children watching as the morning session of the fourth annual Jason Witten Football Camp was winding down Saturday at Dave Rider Field, Dallas Cowboys tight end Brett Pierce dropped a 50-yard pass from teammate Tony Romo. Enter Witten, who dashed up the field and held on to his heave from Romo, much to the delight of the adolescent army.
Pierce and Romo, now a fixture at Witten’s annual June event, were two of the four pro players other than Witten on hand Saturday. Dallas rookie center Andre Gurode (Colorado) also attended, as did former Cowboys linebacker Keith O’Neal, who now plays for Indianapolis.
Witten was pleased with the turnout of roughly 900 participants.
“The camp is growing every year,” Witten said. “I thank my sponsors for allowing these kids to come for free. I know I didn’t have an opportunity like this when I was a kid. It’s great to be able to come back home and give all of these kids a few hours.”
It’s evident that the humble Witten relishes the power to touch lives.
“Obviously, they admire you and look up to you because you play football,” he said. “For these three hours all of their worries and cares are nonexistent, and they can just come out and enjoy themselves.”
He hopes the memories and positivity will last longer than any football instruction.
“It’s a football camp, but really I don’t know how much football they take away from it,” Witten said. “I stress how important school is, how important it is to stay away from drugs and alcohol. I want them to believe in their dreams, whether it’s athletics or not. Nobody can stop them if they keep their spirits high.”
Romo has become Witten’s leading co-star at the camp. This was his third straight appearance.
“You can tell that the people around here really follow and love Jason,” Romo said. “They take a lot of pride in what Jason is doing, and it’s great that he gives back to the kids like this. The example of Jason just goes to show that you can come from anywhere and still make it big.
“The folks here love football and that’s neat to see. Down in Dallas, Jason talks often about how this area has a passion for football and that shows when we come to these camps. It’s not like this in other parts of the country.”
Witten’s camp is hardly the extent of his community servant’s role. While in town this week, Witten visited The Children’s Hospital at Johnson City Medical Center.
He’s as popular in Dallas as he is in Elizabethton, having participated in numerous charity events in the Dallas area involving The Salvation Army, the Children’s Medical Center and The Voice of Hope Ministries.
Witten has also been the Cowboys’ representative for the J.C. Penney Take a Player to School and was an escort for the Children’s Cancer Fund Fashion Show, which raised money for pediatric oncology research.
If not for his grandfather, Dave Rider, or his wife, Michelle (the couple’s first child, a boy, is due in October) Witten’s No. 1 fan might be Romo.
“It’s a joy for me just to be around him on a daily basis.” Romo said. “To have a guy so committed to winning and not committed to himself and his stats, that’s a breath of fresh air.”
Romo might eventually be the hand that feeds Witten’s statistics.
“Tony Romo’s going to battle for the starting job this year,” Witten said.
Others working the camp Saturday included Witten’s brother Shawn, who played at Virginia Tech and now coaches at Tennessee, and former Tennessee players Jason Respert and Robert Peace. Respert, a multi-year starter on UT’s offensive line, is coaching running backs now at Northside High School in Warner Robins, Ga.
Longtime friends of Witten and regulars at his camp, Respert and Peace laughed and smiled when Witten’s catch caused a roar from the crowd of children after boos were audible on Pierce’s drop.
Pierce momentarily seemed like the villain in an impromptu script.
“It’s good to be the hometown hero,” Witten said. “There’s a little pressure with that, but that’s what you want. I appreciate all of my fans out there and their support.”
Witten will sign autographs today from 2-4 p.m. at Grindstaff Chevrolet in Elizabethton.
ELIZABETHTON — Youngsters choosing Jason Witten for a role model are in good hands. And there are plenty of them.
With 600 children watching as the morning session of the fourth annual Jason Witten Football Camp was winding down Saturday at Dave Rider Field, Dallas Cowboys tight end Brett Pierce dropped a 50-yard pass from teammate Tony Romo. Enter Witten, who dashed up the field and held on to his heave from Romo, much to the delight of the adolescent army.
Pierce and Romo, now a fixture at Witten’s annual June event, were two of the four pro players other than Witten on hand Saturday. Dallas rookie center Andre Gurode (Colorado) also attended, as did former Cowboys linebacker Keith O’Neal, who now plays for Indianapolis.
Witten was pleased with the turnout of roughly 900 participants.
“The camp is growing every year,” Witten said. “I thank my sponsors for allowing these kids to come for free. I know I didn’t have an opportunity like this when I was a kid. It’s great to be able to come back home and give all of these kids a few hours.”
It’s evident that the humble Witten relishes the power to touch lives.
“Obviously, they admire you and look up to you because you play football,” he said. “For these three hours all of their worries and cares are nonexistent, and they can just come out and enjoy themselves.”
He hopes the memories and positivity will last longer than any football instruction.
“It’s a football camp, but really I don’t know how much football they take away from it,” Witten said. “I stress how important school is, how important it is to stay away from drugs and alcohol. I want them to believe in their dreams, whether it’s athletics or not. Nobody can stop them if they keep their spirits high.”
Romo has become Witten’s leading co-star at the camp. This was his third straight appearance.
“You can tell that the people around here really follow and love Jason,” Romo said. “They take a lot of pride in what Jason is doing, and it’s great that he gives back to the kids like this. The example of Jason just goes to show that you can come from anywhere and still make it big.
“The folks here love football and that’s neat to see. Down in Dallas, Jason talks often about how this area has a passion for football and that shows when we come to these camps. It’s not like this in other parts of the country.”
Witten’s camp is hardly the extent of his community servant’s role. While in town this week, Witten visited The Children’s Hospital at Johnson City Medical Center.
He’s as popular in Dallas as he is in Elizabethton, having participated in numerous charity events in the Dallas area involving The Salvation Army, the Children’s Medical Center and The Voice of Hope Ministries.
Witten has also been the Cowboys’ representative for the J.C. Penney Take a Player to School and was an escort for the Children’s Cancer Fund Fashion Show, which raised money for pediatric oncology research.
If not for his grandfather, Dave Rider, or his wife, Michelle (the couple’s first child, a boy, is due in October) Witten’s No. 1 fan might be Romo.
“It’s a joy for me just to be around him on a daily basis.” Romo said. “To have a guy so committed to winning and not committed to himself and his stats, that’s a breath of fresh air.”
Romo might eventually be the hand that feeds Witten’s statistics.
“Tony Romo’s going to battle for the starting job this year,” Witten said.
Others working the camp Saturday included Witten’s brother Shawn, who played at Virginia Tech and now coaches at Tennessee, and former Tennessee players Jason Respert and Robert Peace. Respert, a multi-year starter on UT’s offensive line, is coaching running backs now at Northside High School in Warner Robins, Ga.
Longtime friends of Witten and regulars at his camp, Respert and Peace laughed and smiled when Witten’s catch caused a roar from the crowd of children after boos were audible on Pierce’s drop.
Pierce momentarily seemed like the villain in an impromptu script.
“It’s good to be the hometown hero,” Witten said. “There’s a little pressure with that, but that’s what you want. I appreciate all of my fans out there and their support.”
Witten will sign autographs today from 2-4 p.m. at Grindstaff Chevrolet in Elizabethton.
posted by The Gryphon at 7:08 PM
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