In high school, he played for Liberty County High School. In college, it was Valdosta State. When he headed off to the pros, he joined the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League. But if you were to ask Cedric Dickerson what part of football he enjoys the most, he would tell you it's the time he spends with children at his annual camp at the Liberty County Recreation Department.
"Man, this is just a blessing," Dickerson said as he tossed the football to the kids Friday morning at Long Bell Stadium.
Nearly 70 children attended the three-day camp Thursday through Saturday morning. They ran drills, hit tackle dummies, practiced catching the ball, heard about sportsmanship and learned the game from experienced current and former professional and college players.
Dickerson's cousins Chris Jones, who played for Alabama in college, and Michael Johnson, who currently is a defensive end for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, and friends Cordaro Howard, a junior right guard for Georgia Tech, and Richard Collier, who is in his third year as a Jacksonville Jaguar offensive tackle, coached the kids through maneuvers and ladder drills.
“I love giving back to the community,” Collier said. “I just got back from another camp in Texas. I'm always trying to give back to the kids. Trying to instill something into them and still have fun. But it also shows them that with dedication and hard work you can do anything you want to.”
Dickerson, who said attendance numbers nearly doubled from last year, was thrilled to finally see a young woman join the camp.
"I checked in earlier this week, and they said I had 50 kids and then I came out here, and we have 64," Dickerson said. "I'm just happy because the more kids that come out means there is more of a chance to reach somebody and that is the most important thing about this camp. It shows these kids that they can make it too with a little bit of hard work and fundamentals. It's something I didn't have the opportunity to do, Mike (Michael Johnson) didn't have the opportunity to do and it's been a blessing and I am grateful for everybody that came out.”
"Man, this is just a blessing," Dickerson said as he tossed the football to the kids Friday morning at Long Bell Stadium.
Nearly 70 children attended the three-day camp Thursday through Saturday morning. They ran drills, hit tackle dummies, practiced catching the ball, heard about sportsmanship and learned the game from experienced current and former professional and college players.
Dickerson's cousins Chris Jones, who played for Alabama in college, and Michael Johnson, who currently is a defensive end for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, and friends Cordaro Howard, a junior right guard for Georgia Tech, and Richard Collier, who is in his third year as a Jacksonville Jaguar offensive tackle, coached the kids through maneuvers and ladder drills.
“I love giving back to the community,” Collier said. “I just got back from another camp in Texas. I'm always trying to give back to the kids. Trying to instill something into them and still have fun. But it also shows them that with dedication and hard work you can do anything you want to.”
Dickerson, who said attendance numbers nearly doubled from last year, was thrilled to finally see a young woman join the camp.
"I checked in earlier this week, and they said I had 50 kids and then I came out here, and we have 64," Dickerson said. "I'm just happy because the more kids that come out means there is more of a chance to reach somebody and that is the most important thing about this camp. It shows these kids that they can make it too with a little bit of hard work and fundamentals. It's something I didn't have the opportunity to do, Mike (Michael Johnson) didn't have the opportunity to do and it's been a blessing and I am grateful for everybody that came out.”