Herring puts kids over NFL
By Chris Sweigart
Published: June 27, 2007
Got a phone call Tuesday from former Auburn University and Opelika High football player Will Herring. Fresh off of mini-camp duty with the Seattle Seahawks, the rookie linebacker/defensive back was calling from West Palm Beach, Fla., where he was attending the NFL’s Rookie Symposium.
The cool thing about Will was he wasn’t calling to talk about his future in the NFL, his time at mini-camp or what he’s doing in West Palm Beach. He wasn’t the most important thing on his agenda. Kids were. You see, Herring and former Opelika running back SaJason Finley are organizing the third annual Back to the Dawg Pound youth football camp, which will be Saturday at Opelika High from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Will just wanted to make sure folks in the area and their kids knew about the free camp, open to kids going into the fourth through seventh grades, and how they could register for it.
Campers will be schooled in various techniques of the game from a number of Opelika football standouts now making names for themselves either professionally or in college.
Instructors expected to assist this year includes Herring, a four-year starter at Auburn who was recently drafted by the Seahawks; Finley, who played at Tuskegee; Melvin Oliver, a former LSU star now with the San Francisco 49ers; Tommy Jackson, a former Auburn University star now with the Atlanta Falcons; Clemson’s Jaquez McKissick; North Carolina State’s Jeremy Gray; The Citadel’s Andrew Rowell; Auburn University’s Tez Doolittle and Zach Clayton; Troy’s Jonathan Chandler; Alcorn State’s Ashton Burton; North Alabama’s Jamarcus Snipes; Jacksonville State’s Michael Willis; and Demius Frazier of St. Augustine College.
Parents wanting to register their child can do so through the Opelika Recreation Department at 705-5560. Thursday is the last day a child can register, but Herring said those who walk up Saturday won’t be turned away.
