FB: Williams, Montgomery highlight Preston Camp
will be one of the featured insructors at the 20th Annual Preston
Football Camp in June. (Photo by John Krueger)
Dwight Preston is planning on bringing in a number of past, present and future professional football athletes next month as he hosts the 20th Annual Preston Football Camp.
The one-day camp is scheduled for Saturday, June 11, from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. and will be held either at the newly renovated Roughrider Stadium or on the practice field next to it, Preston said this week. The exact location depends on the status of work on the new track at the stadium.
According to Preston, the new artificial surface will be completed at the time of the camp, but it is unknown whether the other renovations to the stadium will hinder the use of the field.
The cost of the camp is once again $40 per camper, which will include a nutritious lunch, other liquids to keep campers hydrated throughout the day, a camp t-shirt and other items that will be announced the day of the camp. The camp is open to youth and teenagers ages 8 to 18.
Anyone interested in picking up a sign-up form can do so at the Light and Champion newspaper office on the square in Center. Those interested in signing up their children can also call Preston at (936) 598-2470.
Preston said an instructor that will be making his debut at the camp will be former Stephen F. Austin State University and newly drafted St. Louis Ram linebacker Jabara Williams.
Williams, who is a native of Garrison, was drafted in the seventh round of the 2011 National Football League (NFL) draft and became the second SFA player in the past three years to be taken by an NFL squad.
He is a two-time All-American selection, as he finished his Lumberjack career last fall by being named the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year. A three-time first-team All-Southland Conference selection, Williams was once again named a finalist in the Buck Buchanan Award, an honor given to the top defensive player in the FCS every year.
William led the SLC in tackles in 2008 and finished his collegiate career with over 400 career tackles, while leading the 'Jacks to their first back-to-back conference football titles for the first time in school history.
"I'm so excited about having Jabara in our camp this year," said Preston. "I've gotten to know him and believe he'll be a tremendous asset to the kids at the camp and I'm looking forward to the kids working with him."
Other instructors include:
Michael Montgomery - Green Bay Packers / Minnesota Vikings (NFL)
Former Center Roughrider, Green Bay Packer and Minnesota Viking Michael Montgomery worked with campers last summer and will most likely return, according to Preston.
The 27-year old Montgomery spent five years with the Packers, before signing with Minnesota last off-season. He was cut from the Viking and then returned to the Packers for a short time. He is currently a free agent.
The 6-5, 282-pound defensive end from Texas A&M didn't have a big 2009 or 2010, seeing limited action in both seasons, but finished with a career-high 59 tackles in the 2008 season for the Pack. He has 123 career tackles, including 87 solos.
Robert Richards - West Texas Roughnecks (IFL) / West Texas Wranglers
Former Center Roughrider and State powerlifting champion Robert Richards joined the coaches on hand in 2010 and will be back. He played football at the University of Southern Arkansas and also the former Odessa - now West Texas - Roughnecks of the Indoor Football League (IFL).
Richards also played semi-professional football for the West Texas Wranglers.
Kendall Hill - Chicago Bears / Edmonton Eskimos
A former player in two professional leagues, Nacogdoches native Kendall Hill joined the cast of outstanding coaches last year and will be making a return.
Hill attended Southern Arkansas University, and then went on to play for the Chicago Bears of the NFL and then the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Hill is now the Middle School Athletic Director at Seagoville of the Dallas ISD.
About the camp
Preston said instructors concentrate on the 'Three A's' once again at this year's camp.
"We have three A's that we talk about in my camp, and that's academics, attitude and then athletic ability," Preston stated. "These guys that are coming in are going to tell the kids that if they don't take care of business in the classroom then nobody will ever know about them. Then they're going to tell them about taking care of their attitude in the classroom, on the football field and with their coaches. If they don't take care of that nobody will know anything about them either.
"And if the first two A's don't happen, the third one isn't going to happen, no matter how talented they are."
Preston said the story told by Kendall Hill is a great one because he was not a highly-recruited athlete, but he will tell his story about being coachable and continuing to work hard and then he was given the opportunity to play.
"He went to the University of Southern Arkansas even though he wasn't hardly recruited," Preston explained. "When he got there he kept working hard and stayed after it and kept listening. And because of that it paid off for him."
Campers will be taught offensive, defensive and special teams skills as a team and have them broken down by position, according to Preston. There will also be agility drills, skill tests, time tests and endurance tests.
At the end of the day the campers will participate in a touch-football scrimmage.
"We'll work with the kids so they learn something at the camp that they can take and work on throughout the summer," he added. "The object is for them to improve their game, no matter what level they play at next fall, whether its pee-wee, junior high or high school level.
"These instructors that will be there have been there before and will teach them valuable techniques that they can use to improve their games."