At the youth Camp, Freddie Martino and other former NFL
players like Colin Cole, helped children learn to pass, catch and block.
Martino, who grew up in North, S.C. and helped kids go through agility
drills said, you have to "go hard" and "have patie...

Its not every day that Fort Jackson youths get a chance to be mentored by professional athletes especially those who play in the National Football League.

On July 17, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Freddie Martino and other former NFL players such as Colin Cole helped run the youths through various football drills on Fort Jackson's Hilton Field during the Winning is Hard Work youth football camp.

The camp was the second Fort Jackson hosted and was an opportunity the installation couldn't pass up.

"We have the opportunity not just to watch NFL players on TV, but are able to come and train with them," said Darius Lane, Fort Jackson's Youth Sports Coordinator.

Martino, a native of North, South Carolina, said being at the top of the sport is hard work.

You have to "go hard" to get better and it "takes patience," he said adding it felt good to be back in the Midlands.

"I can be the biggest, I can be the strongest and I can be the fastest" but I won't make it if I didn't work hard, Martino said.

At the camp children were separated by ages and run through different drills such as blocking, passing, catching, and agility. It also taught youngsters about life.

Kids can learn from the players "because they are doing the right things" to succeed and "because they got to the highest level of football," said Lane said.

Cole agreed.

"It's not just about (teaching kids) football life" it's about growing up well, Cole said. "It's about exercising …"

Cole, a former defensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers, played nine years in the NFL and has multiple family members and friends in the military. He headlined a youth football camp at Fort Jackson in 2015.

"I'm happy to be a part of it," he said. I will do "anything I can do" to help military children because the parents sometimes have to leave their families.

Related Links:

For more photos of the NFL camp and of other Fort Jackson events click here

Related Links:

For more photos of the NFL camp and of other Fort Jackson events click here

Related Links:

For more photos of the NFL camp and of other Fort Jackson events click here