SCOOBA — Jimmy Gilford quickly stepped away and immediately shouted encouragement at high school football players.
He just finished talking about his passion — Fellowship of Christian Athletes — and was ready get back to directing his camp at East Mississippi Community College. Gilford didn’t stay in one spot very long. He went to each station to get a feel for the kids going through the drills.
Gilford hosted an FCA high school football camp Friday at Sullivan-Windham Field on the campus of East Mississippi Community College and he was more than excited to be in the middle of something that brings a smile to his face.
“The whole heart of this is just to merge everything that I am: a former strength coach that loves Jesus,” Gilford said. “What we get to do here is put the kids through a whole test. We get to be a blessing to (junior college) coaches, high school coaches and the kids while we get to show them Jesus Christ. This is the perfect setup for who we are as a ministry.
“I love it. Instead of me having to go to 20 high schools in a week, I get one event and bring all the high schools to me.”
Gilford’s camp was comprised of over 300 high school student-athletes from Starkville Academy, West Point High School, Oak Hill Academy, Caledonia High School, New Hope High School, Union High School, Quitman High School, Eupora High School and Kemper County High School. There were nine junior colleges represented, including EMCC coach Buddy Stephens, and two four-year schools — Belhaven and Millsaps — watching potential prospects.
Gilford led a devotion after the camp ended and Mississippi State rising senior linebacker Richie Brown spoke to the participants.
While acting as a strength and conditioning graduate assistant for tennis and baseball at MSU, he was involved with FCA. He wanted to combine his passion for his faith and football and create something that would give kids a chance to grow spiritually and the exposure they needed to reach the next level.
“It’s always nice for exposure,” Starkville Academy coach Chase Nicholson said. “Anytime college coaches get out here and see our guys, it’s always fun. It makes them feel good to have that opportunity because we don’t always have those opportunities. This is a chance for them to come out here and showcase what they can do.”
Gilford conceived the idea three years ago. He held a camp at Oak Hill Academy in West Point last year, but 90 kids showed up. He hopes to continue this event for years to come, possibly moving it to different sites to give other high school football players a chance to attend.
Nicholson couldn’t attend last year’s camp because of a 7-on-7 camp he and the Volunteers were participating in. When Gilford approached him this year, Nicholson made sure he and his team would be able to attend.
Manning the vertical jump station, Nicholson was enjoying the fellowship.
“We’re not Starkville Academy, we’re not Kemper County,” Nicholson said. “It’s just a bunch of guys out here doing awesome football stuff together. It’s just a great thing for these kids, the communities, the schools all around and the coaches.”
Gilford was helped out by longtime FCA member and Starkville Academy defensive line coach Bubba Davis. Davis, wearing a faded red hat with a long sleeve t-shirt and shorts, was busy filling up water coolers and lending a helping hand wherever he was needed. He was involved with similar camps while at Wayne County High School and enjoyed the opportunities.
As important as football is in the south and the state of Mississippi, Davis believed the sport was on the back burner.
“These kids are going to make friends just because they’re going to sit by somebody and get to talking to them,” Davis said. “When we share the Word with them, they’re going to get that part. When they go back, they’re going to be able to compare their times with these others. It’s a win-win for everybody.”
West Point coach Chris Chambless also used the term “win-win” when talking about the camp. He had no problem getting Green Wave student-athletes to come to the camp.
Wearing an EMCC hat and watching the 40-yard dash, Chambless was happy to be a part of of the festivities.
“This an avenue,” Chambless said. “Kids are doing something they are infatuated about. Then they can reach them through the Word. They can motivate them and giving them a sense of purpose to do better not only in school and on the field, but also with the character.”
The players seemed to be enjoying themselves, especially with college coaches looking on. Many won’t get other opportunities to compete in front of college coaches. Gilford felt like the response from the kids was excellent.
“I haven’t seen anything but just excitement,” Gilford said. “There are a lot of JUCO level kids here that they feel like they don’t get exposure. So I just think it’s a lot of gratitude.”
Although his faith is a cornerstone of the camp, Gilford uses football as is initial connection to relate to the kids.
“If all we do is just preach Jesus to them, you don’t really relate to them and connect to them. What this helps us do is say, ‘Hey, I care about you, regardless if you follow Jesus or not. I just want to be a blessing to you. I’ll show you Jesus some other way.’ I get to be a blessing to them,” Gilford said.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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