“Man, I just always want to give back to the youth. Growing up, I looked up to the older guys. And, you know, the people that I looked up to helped me get to where I wanted to go,” said Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed.
Jayden Reed returns to the Naperville/Aurora area
Naperville Central grad and Green Bay Packers star receiver Jayden Reed returned to Chicago’s west suburbs this weekend to help with the second annual I’Marion Stewart Youth Football Camp at Bolingbrook High School. Stewart, a Bolingbrook native who is entering his junior season at the University of Michigan, recruited an all-star lineup of local NFL talent players to coach 150 kids.
“We had the first year camp that went pretty well. Kids had fun, and it brought the community together, and we just thought we should do it again. So we came back here a second year; it still was successful, and we’re looking to have more great camps in the future,” said Michigan defensive back I’Marion Stewart.
The campers received hands-on skills training and advice from Stewart, Reed, former Glenbard North star and New York Giants defensive back Greg Newsome II, as well as Bolingbrook graduate and Indianapolis Colts defensive back Cam Mitchell. For these local standouts, the day was about breaking down the walls between the pros and the next generation of players.
“It’s just being ourselves, showing them they’re able to touch us in a sense. We’re humanized. You know, when you see people in the NFL like on TV, you think that they’re this big, you know, character, but we’re humans as well. So just to go out there and show them they can be it too,” said New York Giants defensive back Greg Newsome II.
“That’s my main focus. Just motivating the youth and giving them hope,” said Reed.
Advice for the next generation
Reed competed against Newsome head-to-head in high school in 2015 and 2016 when Reed played at Metea Valley while Newsome played for Glenbard North. They squared off again in college in 2020 with Reed lining up for Michigan State and Newsome playing corner at Northwestern. Newsome was then a first-round pick by the Cleveland Browns in the 2021 NFL Draft. Cam Mitchell also played collegiately at Northwestern, taking on Reed and the Spartans in 2021, before being selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Browns.
Despite being younger than the rest, Stewart has known Reed, Newsome and Mitchell for years through their connections with the Midwest Boom 7-on-7 program.
Before sending the young athletes home, the four local stars shared words of wisdom to keep the camp participants in the right state of mind for finding success, on and off the field.
“Stay focused. Don’t ever let anybody tell you you can’t do something. Always be true to yourself,” said Stewart.
“Believe in yourself and never give up,” said Reed.
I think discipline is the biggest thing. If you’re disciplined, if you stick to a certain routine, getting better each day, discipline with school. So all the little things, man, how you do one thing is how you do everything,” said Newsome II.
With the youth camp in the books and NFL training camp kicking off next week, this weekend trip home proved to be a meaningful pitstop along the way.
“Seeing what I came from and what I went through. It’s just always good coming back home. It’s a great feeling,” said Reed.
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