NFL in the Valley

The football season may be over and City Stadium in Staunton is empty for now, but that will all change on Monday.

Robert E. Lee High School Defensive Coordinator Mike Roark says, "There is a serious commitment in the Valley not just from the kids, but from the coaches."

The NFL is coming to the Valley as hundreds of eager high school students from Rockingham County to Roanoke are set to participate in a special player development camp.

Roark says, "The camp is geared for life learning...Besides what is just on the field. We're going to talk about character. We're going to talk about the classroom."

Roark says the camp is triggered at prepping kids for the future on an off the field.

It's something he says is becoming more an more important as the face of recruitment changes for many players hoping to play college ball.

Roark says, "They don't want the off-the-field headaches from the kids anymore. You might be a stud on the field but they're going to say see ya, because they're not doing the right things off the field, and they're not doing the right things in the classroom."

It's the only camp of it's kind in Virginia, offering players time management instructions, SAT help, and even counselors to set up what they call an academic action plan to make sure they're on track in the classroom first.

Roark says, "The schools are trying to practice it. The NFL and the National Guard are trying to push it...You have to put academics first."

Staff from the University of Georgia football team will be on site throughout the week helping the kids out.

The camp runs from June 1st through June 5th.