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| Houston Texans DE Will Anderson Jr. |
As the rain poured down on the football field at J.P. Mosely Park, Stockbridge, Georgia, the young participants in the first annual Will Anderson Jr. Youth Football Camp hesitated to take the field. The increasing rain led some to question if there would even be a second session at the camp, creating an unexpected turn of events.
As they watched what seemed to be their opportunity to learn some football fundamentals from the Houston Texans edge rusher being washed away, a resounding voice was heard from the background.
“I know y’all are not afraid of some water, are you,” Anderson’s voice boomed as he rushed towards the field. “I thought y’all were football players? This little rain is not about to stop y’all from taking care of business, right?” His words were not just a challenge, but a powerful motivation to the young players.
Anderson approached the middle of the field like he was preparing for kickoff; he was followed by the group of 12-16-year-olds in attendance, who used his words as motivation as they went towards their designated drill stations. Every player went through each drill without hesitation during the rainstorm before the weather finally cleared up.
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That attitude of overcoming any obstacle and adversity took Anderson from J.P. Mosely Park, where he played Pop Warner Football and became a top recruit out of Dutchtown High School in Henry County, Georgia, to an All-American at the University of Alabama. The Texans selected him with the third overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and by the end of the season, he was awarded Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
“It’s a blessing,” Anderson said about the camp. “It means a lot for me to be here with my family, all of my friends, and all my close ones coming out here and supporting. Just to have the community behind me is a big blessing.”
It was important for Anderson to hold his first-ever free football camp near his hometown for the local community, with two sessions for kids ranging from ages 6 to 16. Growing up, there were never any local football camps being held in South Georgia that Anderson could attend.
“Every summer, I would find camps for him up 400 (Atlanta Freeway) or somewhere like Buford (an hour away from Dutchtown), but never on the southside,” said Tereon Williams-Anderson (Anderson’s mother). “If we did find one closer it would be in Atlanta, but it would be so many teens that you could barely get in.”
Anderson’s giving back to his community was nothing new to his former high school head coach, Clifford Fedd, and defensive coordinator, Will Rogers, who watched him grow into the athlete and young man he has become. Fedd recalls times during school breaks when Anderson would find ways to get him to do one-on-one defensive drills with him. That is why it is no surprise to either coach that he has achieved so much early success in the NFL.
“You tell Will he can’t do something; he is going to go ten times harder to get it done,” Rogers said. “That is one of the things we picked up on in high school. We constantly challenged him. We kept pushing the finish line back so he could get better and better.”
His former high school teammates joined Anderson, who provided the young participants with valuable football knowledge and hands-on instruction. Also in attendance to help with fundamental skills stations, drills, and training sessions was former Houston Texans defensive end Jonathan Greenard, who signed a four-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings this past offseason.
“It is good to see him (Anderson) giving back, and I am not surprised that he is doing this for his community,” said Greenard, also from Georgia. “I could tell from the first time we met that not only was he a good football player, but a good person.”
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| Anderson And Former Teammate Minnesota Vikings DE Jonathan Greenard |