BALTIMORE -- Growing up, Jared Gaither was talented enough
with a basketball to entertain legitimate hopes of earning a
college scholarship and playing in the NBA.
Gaither had just finished seventh grade when he began scouting
Maryland high schools. During a visit to DeMatha, home of one of
the nation's most successful basketball programs, Gaither ran into
the school's football coach.
"We started talking, and he said he had a camp coming up. I
said, 'I'm an athlete. I like sports. I'll give it a try.' And I
went out there," Gaither recalled.
It turned out to be a life-changing experience. Gaither embraced
football, went on to accept a full scholarship from Maryland and is
earning a sizable salary as a first-year offensive tackle with the
Baltimore Ravens.
The football camp he attended, free of charge, was the
NFL-sponsored Junior Player Development program. Because of the
dearth of middle-school football teams around the country, JPD
teaches 12-to-14-year-olds the game's fundamentals, as well as life
lessons.
"I give the NFL a lot of credit," said former NFL quarterback
Boomer Esiason, who joined the program as an instructor at its
inception in 1998. "A lot of these kids come from broken homes or
bad neighborhoods. It gives them the opportunity to do something
constructive, something fun. I've seen the program work."
Anthony Perkins was growing up in the nation's capital when he
decided to join the local JPD program. He ended up going to DeMatha
and played well enough to earn a scholarship to Syracuse, where the
6-foot-5, 275-pound defensive end recently completed his first
season.
"My middle school didn't offer football and I was too big to
play Boy's Club ball," Perkins said. "It was the springtime, I
was twiddling my thumbs with nothing to do, so I decided to give it
a try. I would say that if it weren't for that, I wouldn't be in
the position I am now."
While at DeMatha, Perkins participated in the NFL's High School
Player Development program, an advanced version of JPD that
provides teenagers the opportunity to showcase their skills before
college coaches and scouts.
The emphasis in both programs is football and fun, but
participants are required to bring their report cards so they can
receive counseling on NCAA eligibility. At the end of each session,
the coaches gather the kids to share character-building instruction
on subjects such as time management and self-respect.
"It's like being prepared for a test," Perkins said. "HSPD
taught me what to expect as a college football player, and it
prepared me for life. It taught me the importance of the SATs,
keeping my grades up, doing the right thing -- even how to dress
when going to class."
The JPD program doesn't make big kids like Gaither and Perkins
spend all their time mired on the line. Because everyone gets a
shot at playing every position, Gaither discovered he was a pretty
good quarterback and Perkins learned that being a running back was
a whole lot of fun.
"A lot of football camps around the country cost $500, and we
provide a lot more for free," said Bill McGregor, the DeMatha
coach who got Gaither hooked on football.
"As a football coach, you want to give back to the community.
That's what we're doing," McGregor said. "I can't tell you how
many kids have gone through the program and went on to play high
school and college football. I'm proud to be part of it."
This year, the 160 JPD sites attracted 21,175 kids and the 50
HSPD programs lured 10,045 teenagers, according to Jerry Horowitz,
NFL Director of JPD/HSPD. The cost to the league is millions of
dollars, with no guaranteed return on the investment.
Then again, this isn't a moneymaking proposition.
"You're just trying to reach kids who maybe can't afford a
football," Esiason said. "From a community standpoint, you're
filling a void in their life."
In a survey of HSPD participants in 2007, 97 percent said they
planned to go to college.
Gaither and Cleveland Browns linebacker Leon Williams, a
graduate of the HSPD program, are proof that the JPD/HSPD can
ultimately provide the league with talent. The NFL hopes the
programs will also expand the league's popularity.
"We know if we can engage kids and parents with the beauty of
tackle football, then at the end of the day we can capture a lot of
our customer fan base," said Ray Anderson, the league's executive
vice president of football operations. "It's good business as well
as good community service."