Pro football player puts on camp

Published 8:06 am Friday, April 9, 2010

FRANKLIN—Lacia Featherston of Drewryville said her 8-year-old son Myles, “eats, sleeps and dreams football.”

That’s why she’s glad Myles and his 14-year-old brother, Mandel Jr., were able to spend spring break getting football pointers from former Washington Redskin and Cincinnati Bengal Greg Scott.

“They’re loving it,” Featherston said as she watched a flag football game from the sideline.

Featherston is no stranger to football; Myles plays in a youth league in Emporia and Mandel Jr. plays on the junior varsity team at Southampton High School. Her husband also coaches football.

Scott, a graduate of Southampton High School, and his company, Cover 3 Football, sponsored spring break camps in conjunction with Franklin Parks and Recreation. The camps were held at Hayden Athletic Fields.

“Things are going great,” Scott said Wednesday afternoon. “I’m very happy.”

Scott said the camps “met expectations” and about 30 kids attended consistently. Last February, Cover 3 Football and the Parks and Recreation Department hosted a Winter Football Academy, which was held indoors because of the weather. He was hoping for good weather for the spring break camps, and the mid-summer-like temperatures didn’t disappoint.

“It’s not too hot, but it’s hot enough,” he said.

Scott said the coaching staff pressed the importance of working as a team.

“Everybody wants to be the star,” he said. “But you have to play your position and play your role,” he said.

Nicole Williams said the camp was a “good opportunity” for her 6-year-old son Nekhi.

“He loves football,” she said, adding that Scott is her husband’s cousin. Williams was pleased the camp was held during spring break “because it’s nothing really around here to do on spring break.”

Featherston said she wasn’t only impressed with the football coaching at the camps.

“They’re not just learning football, they’re learning discipline,” she said, as she watched Scott reprimand a camper for using foul language.

“He’s hard on them when it comes to discipline. I like it,” Featherston said.

Scott, whose pro career ended after an injury in 2007, said another camp is planned for July and there could possibly be one in June, if scheduling allows.

“I’m eager to get back out here,” he said.