The 16th annual Legends All-Pro Football Camp, which is just 13 days away, is free after a grant came through.
The National Football League Youth Foundation gives grants to retired NFL players who are vested in the NFL’s retirement system and who are holding a clinic in their hometowns. Current players are also eligible.
The camp director is 1983 Bogalusa High School graduate Bruce Plummer, who is a former NFL player, former scout and current Bogalusa assistant football and baseball coach.
Plummer was a defensive back who played in the NFL for five years and four teams. He played for the Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles.
Plummer played in 52 games, intercepted two passes, recovered a fumble and tallied a sack.
This year’s featured coach is former NFL tight end Rodney Holman.
Holman played 14 seasons in the NFL from 1982-1995. The first 11 came with the Cincinnati Bengals and the final three were with the Detroit Lions.
Over his career, Holman caught 365 passes for 4,771 yards and 36 touchdowns. His best season was in 1989 when he had 50 receptions for 736 yards and nine touchdowns, all career highs.
Holman is a three time Pro Bowler, from 1988-1990.
Holman played in Super Bowl 1989 Super Bowl for the Bengals. That team lost to the San Francisco 49ers, 20-16.
“Great guy. I’m really excited,” Plummer said. “We both live in Slidell and I run into him all of the time. Rodney is a former coach and he’s always willing to come down and help with the camp. We’ve always talked about the camp. I saw him back in December and he told me to let him know. I talked to him last week and he said he’d be there.”
The rest of the staff is Boyet Junior High coach Mark Ross, Northshore High School receivers coach Brandon Troullier, former Tennessee State player and now health director in Massachusetts Swannie Jett, retired scout and former Southern Illinois player Jerry Hardaway, former Bogalusa and LSU players Ricardo Washington and Eric Dumond, former Dallas Cowboys player John Carter, who is from Angie, former Tennessee State player and a coach at Bogalusa Spade Morris, former LSU players Robert “Big Bird” Smith and Sean Smith and former Bogalusa and Grambling State player Rickey Warren.
Also, the Bogalusa High School coaching staff will be at the camp.
The clinic takes place Thursday, June 14, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Lewis V. Murray Stadium on the campus of Bogalusa High School.
For more information, call Janola Walker Jr. at 985-516-3433, Ken Martin at 985-750-2343, Robert Smith at 713-594-0702, Debra Plummer at 985-735-1303 or Bruce Plummer at 404-606-2359.