The Best of the 757 Football Showcase is back for a 6th season of competition among the top prospects in the Tidewater area. The event has featured numerous D1 caliber football players over the years and one former alumni sat down with Virginiapreps to discuss the value of the camps
Will Smith is a junior offensive line who plays for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Smith played his High School football at Christchurch where he helped the Seahorse win a State championship. Also that year, Smith attended the Best of the 757 Football showcase. He believes performing well at the camps helped him become a Division I football lineman.
"I think it provides everything honesty," Smith said. "I don't think my recruiting would have went the way it did if I had not gone to those camps and performed the way I did. The camps that are setup, like the VTO and Best of the 757, are huge for high school players. I think they need to get more attention honestly because yea there might not be college scouts there but there are people that know how to analyze players. They get your name out there. That's the one thing I took away from the camps I went to. It doesn't matter who is there as long as you perform to the best of your abilities there would be people there watching you and notice your name and eventually get your name out there."
Smith was a 2-time All-State lineman at Christchurch and he made 1st team All-State VISAA Division II on offense and defense in 2011. He chose Wake Forest over several D1 offers. Smith said the change from high school to college was definitely an eye opener.
"The physicality of the game is so much different," he said. "It really smacked me in my face when I got to college how much faster and quicker and stronger everyone was. When you're in high school a lot of times you are being getting recruited from top D1 programs you are one of the best players on your team. When you show up first day of summer camp, everyone else is also the best player on their team. And knowing the talent will be far superior to what you are use to. Being able to accept that was tough as a freshman. When I would get beat in practice it wasn't that I wasn't a good player but my body wasn't physically matured enough to play the college game."
While Smith hit the weights hard at Christchurch becoming one of the teams strongest players, he would advise potential college prospects to work on all phases of their game.
"Strength can only get you so far especially with the offensive line at this level; it's all about technique," Smith said. "I've played with players here that were just flat out strong but not very good players because they didn't have good technique. So while the weight room is important but for an offensive lineman especially getting your technique down and groom your craft as best you can."
The Best of the 757 also gives the potential prospects a chance to face the best players in the area. Smith is lining up against some of the players he faced at the Best of the 757 showcase and at the VTO camps.
"I still look on Google for Andrew Brown (Virginia) and Eli Harold (Virginia). I played against Ken Ekanem (Virginia Tech) and I look back at a lot of the past athletes in camps such as Isiah Battle from Blue Ridge who is at Clemson now. It's a weird kind thing because you want to compete against all of them but at the same time you keep up with them and you talk to them. I talk to Andrew Brown a lot and I keep in touch with Jackson Mateo (Virginia Tech), and Augee Conte (Virginia Tech). It's really cool to make friends thru the camp process."
This years Best of the 757 Football event will be held May 31st @ the Virginia Beach Sportsplex. Register early for best price.
This post was edited on 4/5 3:47 PM by wgarlick
Will Smith is a junior offensive line who plays for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Smith played his High School football at Christchurch where he helped the Seahorse win a State championship. Also that year, Smith attended the Best of the 757 Football showcase. He believes performing well at the camps helped him become a Division I football lineman.
Smith was a 2-time All-State lineman at Christchurch and he made 1st team All-State VISAA Division II on offense and defense in 2011. He chose Wake Forest over several D1 offers. Smith said the change from high school to college was definitely an eye opener.
"The physicality of the game is so much different," he said. "It really smacked me in my face when I got to college how much faster and quicker and stronger everyone was. When you're in high school a lot of times you are being getting recruited from top D1 programs you are one of the best players on your team. When you show up first day of summer camp, everyone else is also the best player on their team. And knowing the talent will be far superior to what you are use to. Being able to accept that was tough as a freshman. When I would get beat in practice it wasn't that I wasn't a good player but my body wasn't physically matured enough to play the college game."
While Smith hit the weights hard at Christchurch becoming one of the teams strongest players, he would advise potential college prospects to work on all phases of their game.
"Strength can only get you so far especially with the offensive line at this level; it's all about technique," Smith said. "I've played with players here that were just flat out strong but not very good players because they didn't have good technique. So while the weight room is important but for an offensive lineman especially getting your technique down and groom your craft as best you can."
The Best of the 757 also gives the potential prospects a chance to face the best players in the area. Smith is lining up against some of the players he faced at the Best of the 757 showcase and at the VTO camps.
"I still look on Google for Andrew Brown (Virginia) and Eli Harold (Virginia). I played against Ken Ekanem (Virginia Tech) and I look back at a lot of the past athletes in camps such as Isiah Battle from Blue Ridge who is at Clemson now. It's a weird kind thing because you want to compete against all of them but at the same time you keep up with them and you talk to them. I talk to Andrew Brown a lot and I keep in touch with Jackson Mateo (Virginia Tech), and Augee Conte (Virginia Tech). It's really cool to make friends thru the camp process."
This years Best of the 757 Football event will be held May 31st @ the Virginia Beach Sportsplex. Register early for best price.
This post was edited on 4/5 3:47 PM by wgarlick
