Spiller brings football camp to Clemson, tells TigerNet he wants to give back

Spiller says the camp is a way to share how he overcame some of the obstacles in his life

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Tue Mar 20 16:56:32 GMT-04:00 2012

Nothing that C.J. Spiller C.J. Spiller
Pro Running Back
#28 5-11, 195
Lake Butler, FL
View Full Profile did on the football field at Clemson was ordinary, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that his camp will also be different.

The former Clemson standout and current Buffalo Bills running back announced Tuesday that he would be holding a football camp in Clemson May 19th-20th, but he wanted his camp to be more than just about football.

“I am thankful that an organization like the Youth Learning Institute is helping me do the camp,” Spiller told TigerNet in an interview Tuesday afternoon. “I went to them, and we bounced ideas off each other, and I told them I didn’t want an ordinary camp where kids come in and just work through drills. I want them to experience that camaraderie of getting to know a different person. This camp will also be about learning life skills. You can learn about football, but you can also learn something that will help you be a greater person. I was lucky to find an institute that shared the same aspirations I had.”

The camp website says that, “The C.J. Spiller football and life skills camp strives to develop athletes that are mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially grounded. Campers will receive one-on-one and group instruction from former Clemson superstars. Areas of instruction include football skills, fitness & conditioning, health & nutrition, academic achievement and life lessons.”

The cost is $165 for campers that choose to commute and $195 for campers that choose to stay on campus for the two-day camp.

Spiller told TigerNet that a camp is a way he feels he can give back to the Clemson community.

“I always wanted to do one when I was there,” he said. “I wanted to come back and give back to the community where I had the opportunity to spend four years. I wanted to share my experience with younger players, and athletes can see me and go through some drills and they will get to know me a little better. I can share my life experiences and what I went through and how I overcame things in my life. I am definitely excited about it.”

Spiller, the 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year, also said that this camp is just the beginning.

“I just want to tell everyone in Clemson that I am very excited about doing it,” he said. “At first, we wanted to do two camps, but with my Buffalo Bills schedule and the conflicts we had, we decided to do just one this year. But we are just in the beginning, and we will be getting bigger. I hope to get to two weekends, where we can have the younger players one weekend and then the older players.”

The camp will be limited to 90 players this year, but Spiller said that he will pick 10 other individuals that can attend the camp to make it an even 100.

For more information, go to www.cjspillercamp.com or call 864-656-5535.