News & Notes from ODU Men’s Team Camp
Western Carolina visited Currituck County for their annual Satellite Camp
by Andy Hilton, recruit757
Players from the 757 that missed this little gem of a camp missed an opportunity for exposure in a small camp environment.
Around 60 players camped and competed for the coaching staff at Western Carolina University, along with coaches from Chowan, Elizabeth City State, Methodist, and the Newport News Apprentice School. The coaches from Richwood High School in Richwood, West Virginia brought their team in.
It made for a great instructional camp, and the college coaches in attendance found several players that caught their eye.
Players from three different states won the fastest man competition at the end of camp. West Virginia, North Carolina and Virginia were represented as a running back from Richwood won his class, a lineman from John Holmes High School in Elizabeth City won that class, and cornerback Darran Butts (SO SR/CB 5-7 165) of King’s Fork High School won among the wideouts and defensive backs.
Some of the best instruction came from the coaching staff at Western Carolina, who implored the kids to play the game because they love it, embrace discipline, and understand the hard work that it takes to play football at the college level.
Offensive coordinator Brad Glenn expressed that there are four principles that the coaching staff at WCU looks for when they recruit a high school player: hard work, discipline, unselfishness, and love of the game.
“You got to love hard work and discipline. You’ve got to be unselfish and you have to love this game. America has turned into a selfish place. Football is the ultimate team sport. You can’t be on a team and worry about yourself, your stats… you gotta do it for the team. We all live together. We all work together,” Coach Glenn explained to the campers in attendance. “Be sure you’re playing football for the love of the game and not something else. Not for your parents. Not for your friend. Not for your girlfriend. not for just being able to wear the jersey down the hall and look big. You gotta love the game.”
“Those are the four things we’re going to look for when we recruit you. Who do you think we’re going to ask these questions to when we come to recruit you? Your coaches. They know that. I can’t look at a highlight film and know what kind of heart you have for the game. I’m going to ask your coaches, so make sure you lay it on the line every single day for your coaches and your high school.”
To close the camp, Head Coach Mark Speir made sure that the campers left on a positive note. He reminded the rising seniors about what a crucial year they have coming up.
“We all want to be champions. Are you a disciplined person? You are what your habits tell you you are every day. You get to decide. You get to decide in the classroom, on the football field and in life how you treat people,” said the coach. “There’s greatness there. You guys decide to be great. You have to decide to be great. Your coach, your mom or your dad, your teammate, they can encourage, but you have to decide to be great.”
You can see more of the motivation that Coach Speir shared in the video below.
No offers were extended to campers on Wednesday, but several players were invited specifically to visit Western Carolina and take part in a one-day prospect camp there. Scholarship offers are likely to come. As for the 757, Bayside lineman Elisha Mitchell, Maury lineman Branden Goad, and Bishop Sullivan lineman Curtis Morgan stood out. Darran Butts stood out, along with running back Daiquan Copeland of Lake Taylor. Linebackers Tristan Packer and Liam Walters of Lafayette also earned good looks from the college coaches in attendance.
It was a great day for all of the campers. Next year, there’s an opportunity for the 757 to travel down and showcase in the Tar Heel state only an hour or so away.
Western Carolina opens their Carolina.
– Andy Hilton
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