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Nicholas Ward thought it was probably the luckiest moment ever in my life after hed spent $200 at Academy Sports + Outdoors on Friday evening in Mobile.
Headed into the sixth grade at Causey Middle School next month, Ward was among the 20 youngsters set to attend the 11th annual AJ McCarron Football Camp on Saturday who were selected at random to enjoy a shopping spree at Academy Sports + Outdoors on Friday.
Around 700 have registered to attend the camp at Mobile Christian School.
I thank my mom for signing me up and thank God because were happy, Ward said.
I was just happy.
This is probably the luckiest moment ever in my life, to be honest.
A wide receiver for the Cottage Hill Steelers, Ward said his shopping trip started with a lot of shoes.
I got a pair of Crocs for my cousin, and I got me some slides.
When he started his free football camp in Mobile, McCarron was a quarterback with the Cincinnati Bengals after being a state champion and All-State selection at St.
Pauls Episcopal in the Port City and a three-time national champion and the Maxwell Award winner at Alabama.
McCarron spent nine seasons in the NFL and two in the XFL/UFL as a quarterback, but for this years camp, he handed out 20 $200 gift cards as the coach of the United Football Leagues Birmingham Stallions.
Its always an awesome experience being able to give back, McCarron said.
Our sixth year teaming up with Academy, so theyve always been a huge part of this and helping this camp have special moments in it.
Its been a great day.
Members of the Mobile Police Department assisted the youngsters with their shopping, with McCarron telling the kids: We want to make sure that were not scared of police officers.
The registration list for Saturdays camp features youngsters from nine states Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Washington and 116 communities, including 82 in Alabama.
Eleven years -- its a long time, McCarron said.
But we have a bunch of new sponsors this year.
And its great doing a free camp for 11 years now for not only kids in our community in Mobile, but all surrounding areas.
And then weve got, I think, nine different states and over 150 different cities, so its awesome to see kids from all over sign up.
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Alabama fans, they show support at all times, and its, I think, a testament to what we built during college, and then, hopefully, how Ive carried myself throughout my career.
And people want to be involved in that.
Being able to hold the camp and the shopping trip, McCarron said, have given him some perspective that he might have missed without them.
As long as you can do it, you might as well do it, McCarron said.
The cool part about this is in doing the camp and the shopping spree and everything is even when you think youre having a bad day, theres a lot less fortunate out there that are going through tougher times than what you are.
So its things like this that keep, you know, for this past season, when you lose a tough game, you dont know how youre going to get things turned around or what youre going to say to the team, its like, Is it really that bad? Were playing football for a living.
Theres people out there wondering how theyre going to pay their next bill or keep the lights on or provide food for their families.
So its a great thing that happens that keeps everything in perspective.
And, you know, Im just blessed to be a part of it.