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NFL Players, Including Baltimore Native, Hold Free Camp For City Youth

BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- Future NFL players got a real treat Saturday as they attended a free football camp.

The coaches for the day included 18 NFL players, including Torrey Smith, and was hosted by Baltimore native Brandon Copeland.

It's a chance of a lifetime for the football loving kids.

In North Baltimore, they dealt with the heat of the sun, while being coached by NFL players. The event was the idea of Detroit Lions defensive end Brandon Copeland.

"Obviously giving back to the kids is great, coming home to do it is great, and actually getting to see all the familiar faces, former teammates, friends, family members," Copeland said.

The Gilman graduate said he can teach the boys to tackle and hold the ball without fumbling, but there is more to the road to the NFL and the game called life.

"If you make it to the NFL, but if we can teach you something you can use tomorrow, you can use when you're 40, 50,60,70 80, that's more of what we're trying to do as a camp," he said.

To make the free camp a success, Brandon got help for 18 of his NFL friends.

"You know he's doing a lot of big things off the field and it's something that our youth need to be able to look up to and understand, there is more to a guy than being a football player," said former Raven Torrey Smith.

Brandon also said the camp is a chance for the pros to teach kids football skills as well as interact with their role models.

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