Deion Branch returns home for 9th annual Skills and Drills camp

ALBANY — Deion Branch put both hands on his knees, crouched down and offered words of encouragement to a youngster attending his 9th annual Skills and Drills Camp Saturday morning at Albany State University.

“Nah, that’s the not the stance those guys showed you, is it?,” Branch told the camper, who was working at the quarterback station.

The camper changed his stance to meet Branch’s approval, then the Super Bowl XXXIX MVP smiled and patted the camper on the head. The youngster seemed in awe that he got one-on-one attention from the former Monroe High School, University of Louisville and NFL standout.

“Trust me, I’m human,” Branch said. “Some of these kids look at me like I’m some sort of (superhero) action figure or something.”

More than 75 athletes ranging from about 5 years old to high school attended Branch’s camp, while volunteer coaches worked the stations with his input. Branch busily roamed from sideline-to-sideline, making sure the campers displayed the right fundamental skills to succeed.

The unsigned former member of the New England Patriots isn’t currently on an NFL roster, but on Saturday he didn’t seem to care that he didn’t have a team to report to when NFL clubs attend training camps later this summer.

Branch was back home, and he seemed to relish teaching others.

“If I could go back to being 8, 9 years old, when it all started, trust me I’d do it,” he said. “For me personally, I wish there would have been somebody who could have (gone to the NFL) and came back and did something like this that my coaches and I are doing. It never happened. I don’t fault anybody. Luckily, I had enough parental guidance around me to help straighten me and push me the right way alongside a lot of my friends.”

For 7-year-old Christopher Holmes, he said he woke up at 5 a.m., ready to attend the camp. The youngster, decked out in shorts, cleats and his white camp T-shirt, said he was excited to play a game of flag football against other campers.

“We also get to have a lot of fun,” Holmes said.

For rising sophomore Brandon Thomas, who plays quarterback at Westover, he said you can never gain too much knowledge from attending football camps and workouts.

The sophomore took a short break just before camp ended and couldn’t believe how fast the three hours passed. He said he woke up at 6 a.m., ready to go.

“It’s a great learning experience,” he said. “You get to learn a lot of different things as well as discipline. Then there’s also the interaction with other people.”

But one thing Branch made clear is that even if he doesn’t sign with an NFL team and he does retire, he will continue to conduct his Skills and Drills Camp. The Albany native said he loves giving back to the community that helped develop him into a standout player.

“I thank God for blessing me with talent and the knowledge to come out here and do this for these kids, just to give back,” he said. “I enjoy coming home and doing this, especially when these kids show so much interest to come back every single year.

“I would say when it comes to the point where I get only three or four attendees, then that may be time (to quit). And hopefully, that’s when I’m about 70. If I have the opportunity to do it, I’m going to continue to do it as long as my schedule and health allows.”

As the campers listened to every word Branch said, he huddled them together near midfield and encouraged them to keep improving upon their skills.

“This is it,” Branch said. “This is where it starts.”