GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Former NFL linebacker and Ottawa Hills High School alum David Harris has returned home. The native was here for his annual, youth football camp at the historic Houseman Field on Saturday.
The free camp first started back in 2007.
Harris did not have many camps like this growing up. It means the world to him to return from Ann Arbor and give back to his community the best way he knows how.
"The kids are coming out and having a good time learning basic fundamentals and techniques of football that they can carry with them all the way up to high school," Harris said. "We're out here to have fun and enjoy the day."
The former Michigan Wolverine got some help from the football staff at Ottawa Hills to help run the camp from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m.
"Oh, it's a wonderful feeling being out here and having this camp," Ottawa Hills head football coach Christian Verley said. "I think one of the things for our community is to continue to push upliftment, push uplifting activity and give them something to do. There's been a lot of turmoil in our community, but one thing this camp does is bring some stability to athletics."
Over 50 kids learned offensive and defensive drills. The campers also went through NFL combine style drills before playing some games and asking Harris questions about his career.
The plan is to come back to Houseman Field for another year of the David Harris Youth Football Camp in the summer of 2023.
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