Brian Boyce
The Tribune-Star
TERRE HAUTE —
It’s not too often one sees NFL stars coaching local high school players, but if a few hometown heroes get their way, it could head in that direction.
“It was a great day,” Terre Haute North Vigo High School football coach Chris Barrett said of a Saturday where New York Jets punter Steve Weatherford brought some friends back home for the day.
Before Weatherford was a Jet, he was a North Patriot. And that hometown connection inspired him to host a camp there Saturday with teammates like quarterback Eric Ainge, cornerback Marquice Cole and fellow North alumnus and Carolina Panthers tight end Jamie Petrowski.
“It was a lot of fun,” said Brandon Russell-Cherry, 15, a Terre Haute South Vigo lineman, of the 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. program. Getting to work out with professional athletes made a big difference, he added.
Out on the grass of North’s field, about 140 Vigo County football players broke down into units for position-specific drills. Defensive backs worked on their breaks, back-pedaling through the heat and getting hands-on instruction all day, while receivers got some tips of their own. Seven-on-seven drills between offense and defensive were also part of the agenda.
“I really appreciate Steve coming back and putting this together for us,” Barrett said of a program Weatherford has indicated could become a regular event. “He was excited about it.”
The day-long camp was free to attend and those participating agreed it was beneficial.
“It was a lot of stuff to make us better individually,” Joel Blakely, 17, said of the one-on-one drills specific to his position as an offensive lineman.
Saturday’s temperatures hovered in the 90s with a heat index that broke triple digits. But the chance to throw balls with NFL players last seen threatening the Indianapolis Colts for a Super Bowl spot was cool indeed.
“It was hot. Hot but fun,” Chris Barrett Jr., said. The freshman quarterback and coach’s son agreed the drills in which he threw to receivers was a highlight of the day.
His father noted he just missed coaching Weatherford by a year, and said many of the NFL players help each other out at the camps they host, making for a star-studded hometown event. “A great day,” he said again.
Brian Boyce can be reached at 812-231-4253 or brian.boyce@tribstar.com.
