Approximately 150 military children are having an opportunity to work in a Fort Riley hosted camp this week with NFL receiver Malcolm Perry of the New England Patriots. Perry said he is mostly having fun and teaching the fundamentals of football.
Perry said he was born at Fort Campbell, KY so he can identify with the kids attending the camp. "So I play receiver, my job is to catch the football. That's a position that a lot of kids gravitate toward because in the NFL the wide receivers make all the big plays. " Perry added that catching the football is one of the fundamental skills so he hopes to pass it along to a couple of kids.
The camp began with a three hour session Wednesday afternoon and continues from 9 until noon Thursday morning. Registration was open through June 25.
Perry noted that both of his parents served 20 years in the military and retired at Fort Campbell, KY. That's where he resides now in the offseason. "My whole life has been military and eventually went on to the Naval Academy." In the future he will have a military service commitment. "I'm playing football now but once I'm done playing football I still have five years to go do in the Marine Corps. "
During his years at the Naval Academy Perry played both quarterback and slotback. As a senior, he set various Navy and NCAA records, including the most rushing yards by a quarterback in a season, and was named American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
Perry noted that when he was young that a youth camp at Fort Campbell was his first introduction to football. "This is where I learned to have an appreciation for the game and kind of fell in love with it."
On going from youth football all the way up to the professional ranks Perry advising young people to have fun with it. "I don't think you can make it as far as I did without having fun and a love for the game."