NFL High School Player Development program coming to Thomasville

Published 12:45 pm Tuesday, June 12, 2012

More than 40,000 high school football players will focus on character development, life skills and on-field techniques through August as part of the NFL High School Player Development (HSPD) program, which is presented by the National Guard through the NFL Youth Football Fund.

 Thomasville’s Remington Park will host the HSPD program on Friday and Saturday

“This is a big deal,” said Joe Burns, a former Thomas County Central running back who played for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills from 2002-06. “We’ve been trying to get this for a few years. It’s going to be a really, really good event.”

Burns said players from Bainbridge, Brooks County, Brookwood, Cairo and Thomasville and his alma mater are expected to attend the free opportunity. They will receive jerseys.

The HSPD program  usually visits larger towns, but Thomasville got the nod because of its impressive list of players who made it to the NFL after being born or raised here. It includes Williams Andrews, Eric Curry, Myron Guyton, Danny Copeland, Guy McIntyre, Henry Childs, Sam Madison, Paul Miranda, Tashard Choice and Marcus Stroud. It also produced a Heisman Trophy winner in Charlie Ward Jr.

“We are really honored to be part of the many sites that were asked to put this on,” Burns said.

Since its inception in 2001, the HSPD program, led by former Falcon Billy “White Shoes” Johnson in the Southeast, has provided participants with a curriculum that focuses on inspiring excellence in the classroom, community and on the playing field. The program, which is funded by the National Guard through the NFL Youth Football Fund, is free for students and will be implemented at more than 200 sites in all 50 states and Puerto Rico this spring and summer.

The character development and life skills portion of the week often features guest speakers and discussions on life after high school.  Students also will take part in a Center for Disease Control (CDC) session about player safety, including concussion treatment and management.

See Wednesday’s edition for more details.