ROCKINGHAM – For the seventh straight summer, the football facilities at Richmond Senior High School will host the Dannell Ellerbe Football Camp. But it’s the first time that the NFL linebacker will be running it as a two-time Super Bowl champion.
A native of Hamlet, and a former standout football and track athlete at RSHS in the early 2000s, Ellerbe will be holding his annual one-day camp on Saturday, July 14, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The USA Football FUNdamentals camp is free and open for any interested football players ages six to 17, and athletes can register from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. the morning of the event.
The first 300 pre-registered campers will be guaranteed a t-shirt and a goody bag, but Ellerbe assures that no camper will be turned away from participating. Pre-registration ends on Saturday, June 30.
Breakfast will be served ahead of the camp’s official 9 a.m. start, and lunch will also be provided before dismissal.
Last year, over 250 campers attended Ellerbe’s camp, and for the reigning Super Bowl LII champion with the Philadelphia Eagles, that’s the whole reason why he continues to give back to his hometown.
“I always host the camp to show the kids that they can be whatever they want to be,” Ellerbe said in an exclusive phone call with the ROSports department. “Whether that’s to go pro, I just want them to know that people from this area can make it. I want to be a visual — and shine the light.
“I never forget where I came from,” he added. “As long as I always have the opportunity to (host the camp), I will.”
With the help of his wife Shervella, who Ellerbe explained is the one who “puts everything together behind the scenes,” this year’s camp will be one of the best ventures yet. The primary objective for Ellerbe throughout the entire camp is to teach the proper and necessary fundamentals of football to Richmond County’s youth.
Some activities will include: passing drills, route-running and catching drills, running back drills and an emphasis on playing the game the right and safest way, all in a non-contact setting.
“We’ll basically go over the fundamentals of football,” Ellerbe said. “It’s just like a regular football camp, and there’s a fastest man competition at the end. We’ll show the kids how to do starts, work on stances and show them the proper way to tackle — and hopefully show them the basics of the game and each position in football.”
Like he has done in past years, the now free agent linebacker will welcome in several of his former Richmond, University of Georgia and NFL teammates and friends to assist with drills at camp. At the time of this publication, Ellerbe noted that the list hasn’t been finalized, but said the camp always benefits from having extra experienced football players on hand.
“I have a lot of my NFL friends come to the camp, and some of my former college and high school teammates,” Ellerbe explained. “I try to get to get as many guys from throughout my journey who are high-level football players.
“We want to have fun with kids, and for the kids to have fun” he concluded. “We have some great sponsors, and the (RSHS) Beta Club always does a good job helping with registration. This is part of why I do it, and keep doing it (year after year).”
More information regarding Ellerbe’s camp, as well as pre-registering, can be found on his USA Football FUNdamental Camp website: https://bit.ly/2x0zK2f.
