By Loren Casuto
BoltTalk Staff Writer

Walking through San Diego State on a midsummer day, you don't expect to hear the crack of pads and the whoops of players. Summer is more about baseball and the beach in San Diego then it is about football, at least until training camp starts for the Chargers. But tucked behind Tony Gwynn stadium, onlookers would be surprised to see a former San Diego Chargers superstar working with the young men hoping to be the future superstars of college and the NFL.

From June 29th until July 2nd, San Diego State University played host to dozens of youth football players ranging in age from seven to eighteen as the Lorenzo Neal football camp took place. The future football players immersed themselves in football fundamentals and drills taught by coaches from throughout North America and under the watchful eye of numerous past and present NFL players. The spirits were high as the players scrimmaged, practiced drills in entire units or in just position groups. And it was the drills and the focus on fundamentals that was the basis of the entire football camp.

[MP3]http://bolttalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Lorenzo-Neal-Interview.mp3|titles=Lorenzo Neal Interview]

What made Lorenzo's camp so unique compared to other football camps, besides the focus on fundamentals, are two things. First is that the NFL players were very active in their participation with the kids. Lorenzo Neal bounced between the fields calling out players by name and number, telling them to focus. Other NFL players were active in showing their students how to perform each drill correctly, shouting for them to make it that extra yard. Charger offensive linemen Scott Mrzucowski provided insight into both how to play football like a pro and the relationship between players.

[MP3]http://bolttalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Scott-Mrzucowski-Interview.mp3|titles=Scott Mrzucowski Interview]

Second is the interest that this camp attracted with coaches and parents from around the country. Expecting a crowd of mostly San Diegans at a football camp in San Diego with a player who earned a great deal of admiration and love from San Diego football fans, I was surprised to find parents and players from Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, Hawaii and even Okinawa, Japan. All of the parents were happy to have their sons in the camp, many hanging out on lawn chairs watching practice talking shop almost like a tailgate. Coaches came from an equally diverse group ranging from local San Diego high school coaches to one from Canada. All of them were excited to provide the kids with their knowledge of football.

[MP3]http://bolttalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Counselor-from-Canada.mp3|titles=Counselor from Canada]

[MP3]http://bolttalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Kind-Interview-3-Okinawa.mp3|titles=Kind Interview 3 (Okinawa)]

[MP3]http://bolttalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Parent-Interview-1.mp3|titles=Parent Interview]

Second is the interest that this camp attracted with coaches and parents from around the country. Expecting a crowd of mostly San Diegans at a football camp in San Diego with a player who earned a great deal of admiration and love from San Diego football fans, I was surprised to find parents and players from Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, Hawaii and even Okinawa, Japan. All of the parents were happy to have their sons in the camp, many hanging out on lawn chairs watching practice talking shop almost like a tailgate. Coaches came from an equally diverse group ranging from local San Diego high school coaches to one from Canada. All of them were excited to provide the kids with their knowledge of football.

When the afternoon practice ended and the players either iced their aches or walked back to the dorms and dinner, the players all had a smile on their face, as did their coaches. They all seemed to regard what they were doing as something worthwhile, that the sweat and aches working with NFL players and the coaches would lead to something better for themselves. The NFL players and coaches had an equally big smile, the kind of satisfaction from spending another practice imparting their knowledge to the next generation of players to strap on the pads. And to both, that's what the camp is all about.

Thank you to the fine people at Lorenzo Neal's football camp who invitied us to observe, to Doug Berger who made it possible and to Denise Stafford (Rexy) for the great photography work.