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The Earl Chambers offensive line/defensive linesSpecialist football camp brought athletes from far and wide to take part in a litany of training exercises on Friday. 

In addition to Chambers (the LaGrange College head football coach, the camp was run by members of his staff as well as coaches from Point University and Albany State University among others. 

It was not just coaches that came from out of town, the athletes did as well. Adrian Martin traveled all the way from the bayou of Louisiana to take part in defensive line drills.

“I thought LaGrange would be a cool place to come and learn stuff I couldn’t back in my state,” Martin said. “I have been all around the South lately, and I have learned more than all the other camps I’ve been at.”

Those are no small words as Martin attended the Florida State lineman camp among others. 

“This is the best camp so far,” Martin said.

“We’ve attracted kids from all over the southeast and beyond,” Chambers said. 

This was the first Chambers camp of the summer. Last year’s OL/DL/specialists camp brought out about 30 athletes. This year saw that number balloon to around 120 athletes.  

The offensive lineman focused on blocking and protecting the skilled position players that line up behind them while the defensive lineman worked on their footwork and block shedding. The campers received valuable information from a whole host of different coaches during the camp. By drawing so many coaches from different universities and colleges, Chambers was able to build a camp that offered a plethora of different voices to help mentor the athletes. Most of the campers have eyes on playing football at the next level and relished the chance to perform in front of collegiate coaches from across the southeast. 

“That’s where football starts,” Chambers said. “You have to cultivate the d-line and o-line first.”

Skill positions have 7-on-7 camps and a variety of other ways to get work in during the summer, but the big guys in the trenches often get forgotten about. Chambers wanted to offer the guys who do not usually get summer camps a chance to get some quality work in during the summer.

It was not just the lineman who got to flash their skills on Friday, punters and kickers got some work in too. Chambers brought in special teams coaches to work specifically with these guys. In a sharp contrast to the behemoths on the line, the special teamers looked like average kids, but with a pigskin at their feet they could blast the ball. 

This was just the first of a series of camps that Chambers and LaGrange College plan to host this summer. The next camp, Skill Academy, will take place on June 30 and will consist of 9th-12th graders just like the OL/DL/Specialist camp was. The Rising Senior Recent High Graduate Camp will take place on July 6-7 and will only consist of rising 12th graders and college freshmen. The final scheduled camp will be from July 28-29 and will be for youth football players only. Registration can be found at https://www.earlchamberscamps.com/.