One of the reasons Browns CB Denzel Ward quickly became a fan favorite in Cleveland is his roots. Ward is born and raised in Northeast Ohio, and he proudly honored his hometown by hosting a free youth football camp at his alma mater, Nordonia High School in the southeast suburbs of Cleveland.
Ward enthusiastically welcomed over 400 kids after a registration snafu allowed more than double the targeted cutoff of 200 entrants. No problem. Ward and his mother made sure they got extra shirts for every camper and found time to spend with all of the second thru eighth graders.
“This is my community and my home,” Ward said via Ohio.com. “So I wanted to just really give back to them. I didn’t want them to feel as if they had to pay me for anything. I don’t really want anything. I just wanted people to come, have fun, play football, learn some new techniques and just enjoy the camaraderie.”
Some social media photos and posts from the Make Them Know Your Name camp, playing off Ward’s slogan:
Nicely done, Denzel!
