CLEVELAND — Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy is no stranger to youth camps. He's held them before, but on Sunday, he held his first-ever Cleveland camp at Saint Ignatius High School.
Through Game Day Youth Camps, Jeudy's camp was held Sunday afternoon with kids taking the field to learn things like route running, technique and hard work.
"Coming out here just work hard, be ready to learn, ready to compete, and the most important, have fun doing it," Jeudy said.
Kids were eager to see Jeudy on the field and to have the chance to interact with him. Many shared their opinions on the Browns with him, like what they wanted to happen in this past draft or asking him who would be the starting quarterback this season. Others simply wanted him to know he's their favorite player—almost everyone was looking to impress the Browns receiver.
"Some of the kids want to show off their skills, but I enjoy that," Jeudy smiled. "Let's show it off. I'm excited for the kids. I see them out there doing one-handed, running routes, up-topping players, talking a little bit of trash. That's the game of football, so I enjoy it."
For observers like Danny Solomon, a coordinator with the Garden Valley Falcons of the Cleveland Muny Football League, seeing Jeudy interact so freely with the kids was great to experience.
"I got about 10 of my kids out here enjoying the camp today," he said. "Jerry Jeudy is very engaging with the kids. You can tell he's been one of them, he was one of them once upon a time."
That's one of the reasons Jeudy holds the youth camps, he said.
"Growing up as a kid, I always had the dream to meet NFL players and go to their camps, and I never had a chance to do that, but now I'm in a position to be the one to do these camps for these kids," Jeudy said. "I'm excited to come out here and teach these kids how to play the game of football."
Jeudy wasn't alone at the camp. Coming out to support him were fellow Browns wide receivers Cedric Tillman, Jamari Thrash and Kaden Davis. His wide receivers coach, Chad O'Shea, and offensive coordinator, Tommy Rees, also came to the camp, helping run drills with the groups of kids.
Having their support at his first camp, which he held in Cleveland, meant the world to Jeudy.
"It means a lot. It's like my second home, so I just want everybody, the fans, the support, [to] just keep grinding and just enjoying this process, enjoying my time in Cleveland," he said.
The kids took home t-shirts and pictures, lessons and memories. And Jeudy took home the joy shared on the football field Sunday afternoon in the city he now calls home.
"I just like watching kids enjoy [themselves], have fun, play this game that they love playing, and I love playing football and I love teaching the young folks how to play the game," Jeudy said.
