Ragland draws hundreds to USA Football camp at Bob Jones
MADISON- The first annual Reggie Ragland Youth Football Camp drew hundreds of boys and girls Saturday morning to meet, learn from, hear from, and ultimately play a game of football with NFL linebacker Reggie Ragland.
Camp organizer Brad Jefferson said that they had to cut off registration at 360. Campers came from as far as Birmingham and Florence but most came Madison County. Ragland made sure all campers got to be on his team as he went from group to group. The turf field was divided along age groups.
The camp was free and conducted according to USA Football certification guidelines as are all camps that NFL players lend their name to.
Ryan Anderson, now with the Washington Redskins, was one of the coaches at the event. Anderson played linebacker with Ragland at Alabama and the two are good friends. Drew Davis who played linebacker with Ragland at Bob Jones and went on to play with Western Kentucky and in preseason with the LA Rams was also a guest coach.
Campers all got a Ragland 59 tee shirt.
“Work hard and have fun was what today was all about,” Ragland said after the field events wrapped up and the kids ate a lunch provided. “I had a lot of fun today and I’m excited everybody showed up with all my friends helping as coaches and hopefully the kids took something out of it. I told them to work in school, make good grades, and listen to your parents. When I was a kid not too many guys came back to do this. I want to do this every year. I want the kids to know I’m just a normal person even though I’m in the spotlight from playing football.”
Ragland
Ragland, a 2012 graduate of Bob Jones, has been in the spotlight going back to when he was a freshman at Bob Jones playing tight end. He moved to linebacker and signed with Alabama where he played in 51 career games and started his final two seasons at linebacker. Ragland was drafted by Buffalo then acquired by Kansas City Chiefs a year ago in a trade for a fourth-round pick. It is looking like a great trade for Kansas City. Ragland started 10 games last season.
With the Chiefs career tackles leader Derrick Johnson now a free agent, Ragland will be looked to as a leader on the defense.
“You have to put the work in to be successful. That’s what I’ve done at every level and I’m going to keep doing it. I love Kansas City. The fans are great. It’s like home, like family,” Ragland said.
Ragland’s parents were at the event and he visits Madison often and still keeps up with Bob Jones football.
“I still talk to Coach Styles and Coach Rose and I try to come back and watch a game when I can.”
