HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- Billy McMullen was a standout wide receiver for the Henrico Warriors in high school. And yet, he didn’t get his scholarship offer to UVA until his senior season was over.
Because this year’s high school football season has been postponed until the spring, there are dozens of kids in the Richmond area that find themselves in the same spot.
“My senior year, that was some of the best tape I had,” McMullen said. “We know the pain that student-athletes are going through right now so we just wanted to set a platform for them.”
McMullen, along with area position coach Malcolm Bell, are hosting five camps throughout the fall at Hermitage High School called The Clinic. It will be an opportunity for kids to not only keep their skills sharp, but to put their talents on display for potential college programs.
“We started thinking about doing this 2 ½ months ago when we found out the (football) season wasn’t happening,” McMullen said. “To get them first, competition. Second, structure during this time and keep them motivated towards their goal. And thirdly, to expose them to different types of training.”
Since college recruiting and signing periods are not changing this year, the chance to get something in front of college coaches is better than sitting home waiting for the spring season to begin.
“Coaches are flexible now in how they are viewing the kids,” McMullen added. “I’ve talked to many of them who say ‘We still want to see the kids move around and compete.’ Getting this in front of those coaches in very important. Why? Because why would you wait for the spring when recruiting is still going on right now.”
The camp will begin on Saturday, Sept. 19 and run every other week for five sessions. Groups are limited to around 75 per session. For more information, click here.
