Graceville hosts ‘C.H.A.M.P. Camp’

By: Dustin Kent Published: May 26, 2010 » 0 Comments | Post a Comment Former Graceville High School and University of Kentucky football star Anthony “Champ” Kelly will be conducting his first high school football camp July 8-9 at Graceville High School. The “C.H.A.M.P Camp” will be a two-day, non-contact camp for students ages 10 to 17 from Northwest Florida. The camp will stress football fundamentals, speed and agility, as well as focus on life skills and education. C.H.A.M.P. stands for “Character, Heart, Attitude, Motivation and Pride.” The 30-year-old Kelly, who now works as assistant director of pro personnel for the NFL’s Denver Broncos, said the camp’s mission is as much about the off-field lessons as the on-field ones. “The main thing is using football to get kids to listen to people talk about life skills, upcoming obstacles, and the importance of education,” Kelly said. “I’ve really been tremendously blessed to be raised by this community, and have opportunity to go get an education while playing football, play a little semi-pro ball, and now I’m living a dream as a scout in the NFL. “When I was at Graceville, I didn’t get to see professionals talk to kids, to see how they got to where they’re at. I never wanted to lose sight of that. I want to make sure kids have an example to look to.” After graduating from Graceville in 1998, Kelly moved on to play for the Kentucky Wildcats for four years, playing both cornerback and receiver. He then got his master’s degree while working for IBM for two years. But his fondness for football got him back in the sport. Kelly went to play for the Lexington Horsemen of the United Indoor [...]