NFL player Jalen Carter, former Central Florida standout, hosts free football camp at Apopka HS
APOPKA, Fla. - Aspiring Central Florida football players got a chance to train with a star, Saturday morning. Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter hosted a free football camp at his alma mater, Apopka High School.
"It feels good, it feels real good, because he just came from, like, championship, we can just learn from his camp," said camper Macari Gainus.
Carter got his high school start as an Apopka Blue Darter, graduating in 2020. He said it felt great to give back to his community. "I feel excited. This is my second camp. I know the kids are very excited to be here and I'm ready to go."
After high school, Carter played college football at the University of Georgia, where he won two championships. He was drafted 9th overall in the 2023 NFL draft by the Eagles. He was back in Apopka on Saturday, hoping to inspire the next generation of athletes. "I really just want them to have fun," he said, "they probably don't have a specific goal right now, I just want them to have fun and hopefully will be their goal and they come up and try to do what I'm doing."
The free youth football camp was for boys and girls ages 8-14, about 50 attended. The camp featured skills and drills led by Carter and Apopka High School coaches. "We'll do all offensive skill drills, individual drills. Do some team activity, defensive individual and skill drills, and some competition stuff at the end," said Apopka HS football coach Matt Anderson.
Carter said his mother, Toni Brown, came up with the idea for the camp. She was there, to cheer on the athletes. "I hope that they come away with something positive," she said, "something saying that they can fulfill their dreams if they just work hard."