Former Massillon standout Devin Jordan will hold a series of football camps on Sundays this Spring.
The former Ohio State wide receiver is planning a series of football camps on Sundays in the spring
In the early 2000s, when Devin Jordan was setting receiving records at Massillon, future NFL defensive backs such as Dustin Fox (GlenOak), Tyler Everett (McKinley) and Reggie Corner (McKinley) were making names for themselves across town.
“We were rivals then, but now we’re like, ‘If we could have competed against each other on a weekly basis, how much better could we have been?’” said Jordan, who played briefly at Ohio State before injuries ended his career. “Back in the day, Massillon-McKinley, we hated each other. But now we’re grown up and we have the same mission: to help kids from this area reach their goal, to go to college and get their degree and play in the NFL.”
That’s why Jordan is putting together the Beyond the Game Football Academy, a series of football camps that will be held Sundays this spring at Massillon’s Paul L. David Athletic Training Facility. The camp will feature several former Stark County football standouts, including Corner, Everett and Fox, who are in the Stark County High School Football Hall of Fame.
“Really, the biggest thing I want to do is get kids around guys who have done this before, not only to teach them but also to mentor them,” said Jordan, who most recently served as an assistant coach at Walsh from 2012-17. “I want to leave a legacy in Stark County, something that’s going to last long after I’m gone and that brings the community together.”
The sessions are scheduled to run April 8, 15, 22 and 29, May 6, 20 and 27 and June 3. (The April 15 session will be held at the Stark County Sports Complex.)
Each camp is divided into two age groups: Group 1 (kindergarten through eighth grade) and Group 2 (high school and college). Group 1 sessions run from 5 to 6 p.m. and Group 2 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Each session is $30, with multi-session and group discounts available. In addition to football training, Jordan plans to educate players and parents about the recruiting process by bringing in recruiting experts like Mark Porter of ScoutingOhio.com to speak. Jordan also wants to rent buses in the summer to allow high school players to attend college camps at places like Ohio State and Cincinnati.
“One thing I’ve noticed as a college coach and a recruiter is that a lot of parents don’t know much about the process and a lot of players don’t know about the process,” Jordan said. “I’d like to help show them the ropes.”
Other camp instructors who are scheduled to participate include Andy Alleman (Massillon), Ryan Brinson (McKinley), Shawn Crable (Massillon), Matt Christopher (Lake), Brian Gamble (Massillon), Curt Lukens (Hoover), Thom McDaniels (McKinley), Steve Miller (McKinley), Joe Morgan (McKinley) and Devon Torrence (Canton South).
“It’s starting as a spring trial run, I guess you could call it, but I’d like it to be like a whole offseason program, where we start it up in January and go through June,” Jordan said. “Like anything else, there are going to be ups and downs and we’re going to need to get the kinks out, but you look at AAU basketball and those guys all play together and train together in the offseason. Football doesn’t have that.
“But I also want to add the mental aspect, so that kids aren’t just getting football but the leadership part as well.”
For details, visit gobeyondthegame.org, call 330-705-3398 or email improve@gobeyondthegame.org
Reach Joe at 330-580-8573 or joe.scalzo@cantonrep.com
On Twitter: @jscalzoREP