PARKER — Of the 485 kids who attended the Russell Wilson Passing Academy on Friday, one took full advantage of an open-mic Q&A with the new Broncos’ quarterback at the conclusion of the camp.
Will Wilson be with the Broncos for the rest of his career?
“That’s why I came here, and that’s the plan,” Wilson told the crowd. “And to win a couple Super Bowls, too.”
The crowd roared, one of many high-energy moments throughout the four-hour camp at Chaparral. The nearly 500 players aged eight to 15 stretched across two full fields, with about 50 coaches working an array of skill and training stations. There were a few high school varsity coaches, along with many youth coaches and a large continent of Chaparral varsity players helping out.
The camp came together in about five weeks and cost $225 per player, though Wilson reserved a large number of spots for scholarship kids. It marked Wilson’s first passing academy in Colorado. He put on his first camp as a junior in high school, and has held them on an annual basis since in Seattle and at various other locations.
“I’ve done a lot of youth camps in my day and initially when I was told there were going to be about 500 kids, I wasn’t too sure about it,” Chaparral football coach Jeff Ketron said. “But it gathered steam really quickly, and the end turnout doesn’t surprise me all that much.
“This camp shows the excitement of the fanbase — Russ in Denver and there’s a lot of optimism with the Broncos this year, and these kids know it, too.”
Wilson posed for a photo with every camp attendee, and also chimed in on teaching moments and drills while bouncing from group-to-group. The quarterback said afterward that his drive to pass the game along off the field is as great as it is to win on it.
“It’s about the kids, it’s about giving back and it’s about trying to make a difference in the world,” Wilson said. “These are the stars of the future and the guys and girls who are going to make a difference in the world, and hopefully I can give them a glimpse of what that looks like.”
Will O’Brien, Wilson’s personal trainer for the past couple of years and also his strength coach in high school, said Wilson’s natural leadership is not only applicable to his professional teammates, but to players of all ages. O’Brien saw it back at Collegiate High in Richmond, Va., and again on Friday.
“We used to have early morning workouts, 6 a.m. on a Monday during the school year, and the kids’ energy coming in was lacking,” O’Brien recalled. “But as soon as Russ walked in, he brought everybody to another level… That’s what great leaders do and we saw it again (on a grassroots level) today. A guy who has risen to his stature, to make himself available and accessible to the kids, that’s what it’s all about.”
Over the years, about 10,500 kids have participated in Wilson’s passing academies, which are camps designed for players of all positions. Wilson said the idea to initially call it the Russell Wilson Passing Academy came as an homage to the Manning Passing Academy, which Wilson attended as a high school sophomore.
Friday’s camp marked the third straight day Wilson made an appearance on the Denver sports scene on a Broncos off-day. On Wednesday, the quarterback and his family attended the Avs’ Game 1 overtime win over Tampa Bay in the Stanley Cup Final, and on Thursday Wilson donned a Rockies uniform and took batting practice with Peyton Manning during pregame at Coors Field.
Wilson said he hit “eight or nine” homers.
“I was swinging away, baby,” Wilson said. “It was fun and a great time (with Manning). Obviously, Peyton and I have gotten really close together over the years, but especially as of late, spending time together, watching film. We had a good time. Peyton was hitting some base hits. He didn’t hit any out, but he came close on two of them.”
