ROCKINGHAM — The practice football fields at Richmond Senior High School were abuzz with learning and smiles Saturday morning.
Former Richmond Raider and NFL linebacker Dannell Ellerbe hosted his 11th annual USA Football FUNdamentals camp. More than 100 campers from Richmond and surrounding counties participated.
In conjunction with The Ellerbe Family Foundation, Ellerbe continued his more than decade-long tradition of returning to his hometown to teach local youngsters about the game of football.
Broken into age groups, campers worked through a series of drills by position. Campers, regardless of size or position, rotated to each group to learn the basics.
Helping Ellerbe run the instruction were a host of his friends and former teammates from Richmond and The University of Georgia, as well as other former NFL players. Amongst the coaches were Richmond’s current football coaches Kevin Alfonso and Joey English.
After warmups, campers worked primarily on speed, agility, reaction and footwork drills. Each station progressed through a series of fundamentals, with many culminating in using a football.
Later in the camp, players worked through tackling drills and competed in several competitions, including 1-on-1 drills and Ellerbe’s annual “fastest man” race.
Saturday’s camp marked the third straight year that Ellerbe and his wife Shervella, also a native of Richmond County, hosted the camp. A four-year hiatus was held during and following the pandemic.
Below are more than 190 photos of Ellerbe’s 11th annual football camp.
