CLEMSON FOOTBALL

Archie Manning extends personal camp invite to Clemson quarterback
Helms will be a counselor at the Manning Passing Academy next month.

Archie Manning extends personal camp invite to Clemson quarterback


by - Senior Writer -

It isn’t every day that a college quarterback receives a text and then a call from quarterback legend Archie Manning, and Clemson’s Hunter Helms is one of the few.

Manning, the former Ole Miss and New Orleans Saints quarterback, is the patriarch of the Manning family and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. He also helps with the annual Manning Passing Academy along with sons Peyton, Eli, and Cooper, and he recently reached out to Helms.

“I was privileged enough to go through the Manning Academy as a camper when I was in the 8th grade, and I believe I made connections with Archie and just kind of kept up with that throughout the years, and he just wanted to lend out an invitation,” Helms told TigerNet. “I am blessed for it. I'm excited and ready to go.”

Helms didn’t believe the text at first.

“It's definitely a dream come true. When I first got the text, I really didn't believe it,” Helms said. “I was like, there's no way this is Archie Manning. I just kind of texted them and replied. I was like, I'd be honored to come. And so, we got on the phone a day or two later, and we talked for about 20 minutes or so. And the whole time I was just thinking to myself, ‘Don't screw up. This is Archie Manning.’ But really, it’s a dream come true to be able to do this, because I remember when I went as a camper, I always looked up to the guys that were there, the college quarterbacks. And now to be able to do that? It's an honor and a blessing.”

Helms will travel to Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, to serve as a counselor to high school quarterbacks at the camp June 23-26. Beside counseling duties, the college quarterbacks will get to learn from the Manning brothers — Peyton and Eli.

Other counselors invited include Phil Jurkovec of Boston College, Drew Pyne of Notre Dame, CJ Stroud of Ohio State, Bryce Young of Alabama, Sam Hartman of Wake Forest, Kedon Slovis of Pitt, Hendon Hooker of Tennessee, Spencer Rattler of South Carolina, and Ty Thompson of Oregon.

“I'll have a team of younger campers and just kind of try to teach them and help them out,” Helms said. “When I went, we played 7-on-7 the second half of the day, I don't know if they still do that or not, but our coach would help out with that, too. So, I'm excited about that, too. But also the main thing I'm pretty excited about is to be able to thro with them and just learn from them as much as I can. And to be around the Manning family and the other guys are there, some of the other quarterbacks that will be there, will be a really cool experience. To be able to learn from them will be pretty cool as well.”

Hanging with the other quarterbacks is also something he is excited about.

“Oh, it's extremely fun. That's who we are. We're football geeks, I guess,” Helms said. “And to be able to talk football with some of the best in the country? I can't ask for any more than that, to be able to pick the brains of some of the best ball players in the country. What more could you ask for? And I just hope to come out of it a lot better than I am in all of my skill sets. And then to just be able to make lifelong friends. That'd be pretty cool.”

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