CHESAPEAKE, VA (WTKR)- Spending much of his childhood in Japan wasn't conducive to Patrick Jones attending many football camps. Now he's giving young players the chance to get the NFL experience.
Jones hosted his inaugural youth football camp at Grassfield High School, his alma mater, Tuesday at the school's stadium. Kids ages 7-14 could take part free of charge.
"If kids can see it, it's easier to believe it," Jones said. "That's just what it's about, just trying to instill belief and hope into the community."
Jones returned to the field he used to patrol in high school as a member of the Grizzlies, a field that helped shape him. Now he's trying to do the same for the next generation.
"This field out here changed my life," he noted. "It changed my life and I'm back here now and I'm trying to change some more kids' lives and that's what it's all about."
"He's very humble," added Jones's mother, Angela. "Just to see him out here giving back to kids makes me really happy as a mother."
There was plenty to learn and plenty of fun to be had at the event, which spanned from 9:00 AM-2:00 PM. Jones gave young players an up close and personal experience with an NFL professional. Prior to arriving at Grassfield, Jones spend 12 years in Japan as part of a military family, so he did not get the chance to go to camps or meet any NFL players as a kid. He's changing that for those coming behind him.
"I couldn't really see that until I got over here," he recalled. "When I got over here and I was able to see great athletes and great stuff, it just does something different to you. It just makes you realize you could do it."
Perhaps one of the campers at Tuesday's event will follow in Jones's footsteps from Grassfield to the NFL. He's kicking off his fourth season as a defensive end with the Minnesota Vikings and is embracing football as a lifestyle.
"You have to literally sleep, eat, breathe football," he said of the NFL. "That has to be what you want to do, that has to be what you love. Football, that's my baby. I'm going to take care of it. I'm going to do everything I need to do. That's just how it is."
"I saw him getting up at 4:30 in the morning in high school, riding his bike to the gym to work out," Angela remembered. "I saw the blood, sweat and tears that he put into his hard work and it's paying off."
Not only is it paying off, but it's giving Jones a platform to give back and make a difference. He spent Tuesday encouraging these young stars to reach for the sky.
"I want the kids to take away that they can do anything they put their minds to and all they've got to do is believe in themselves," said Jones. "When they believe in themselves, they've really got to believe and they've got to walk in it and they can't let [anybody] tell them they can't do [anything]."
"Patrick was a kid from Grassfield and he had a dream," added Angela. "Don't let anybody tell you what you can't do because you can put anything you put your mind to."
Jones and his family plan to have more free youth football camps and hope to take the events to military bases overseas as well.
The former Grizzly tallied 32 total tackles in 2023 with one sack. He was a third round draft pick by the Vikings in 2021 after a strong college career at Pittsburgh.
