CHICAGO — Three Robeson High School graduates who made good on returning to help their native Englewood if they ever became successful have planned a second Legacy football camp in July.
The second annual Legacy camp will run from July 20-22. This year, in addition to the camp for high school students, a separate youth camp for second- through seventh-graders is included.
The camps will be held at Robeson High School at 6835 S. Normal Blvd., on July 20, and at Gately Stadium, 744 E. 103rd St., on July 21-22.
"We were able to impact 130-plus CPS students at last year's camp for absolutely no cost to them," said camp organizer Johnny Johnson. "We anticipate that number growing, and we've even added a third session for the younger student-athletes."
As grade schoolers, Johnson, Charles Brown and Brandon Green made a promise that if they ever became successful, they'd give back to the kids still living in Englewood and elsewhere in Chicago.
Johnson said the players also have visited schools to talk about growing up in Englewood.
"We have also begun doing school visits to teach the youth about college, gang intervention and to just talk life growing up on the South/West sides of Chicago," Johnson said.
The three Robeson graduates all have college degrees after playing Division I football.
Johnson, a defensive back, and Green, a wide receiver, both attended Minnesota. Johnson, who also has a master's degree, is now a financial analyst in Minnesota; Green works with autistic children in Minneapolis public schools and a group home. Brown, a Northwestern alumnus and former Wildcats receiver, is an account development manager in Chicago-based UpMetrics, which provides technology resources for youth and community programs to analyze, interpret and leverage their data to expand their services, make better decisions and increase funding opportunities.
Last year's camp was available to all CPS football players and included several Chicago football coaches from schools like Whitney Young, Hubbard and Robeson.
"We are all extremely excited to be in a position to help change the negative image of Chicago being broadcast across America," Johnson said. "These camps and school visits provide us an opportunity to give back to the very neighborhoods we were raised in and to help these young people realize you can do anything you put your mind to."
For more information on the camp, email cpslegacycamp@gmail.com or click here.
