GALESVILLE, Wis. (WEAU) -On Sunday in Galesville, Wisconsin, former Green Bay Packer Gilbert “The Gravedigger” Brown spent the day coaching young athletes eager to learn the art of football.
“I feel like passing on my knowledge of football, which is something that is very dear to me,” said Brown. “They have to learn the game like I learned the game, and the only way to do it is by getting out there and teaching it.”
For six years, The Gravedigger and The Gilbert Brown Foundation have been coaching young athletes between the ages of 6 and 18 at their single-day youth football camp on the grounds of Champions Riverside Resort. The best part? The camp is free, removing any financial obstacles for young athletes to participate.
“Everything is sponsored by the foundation and sponsors,” said Lori Severson, owner of Champions Riverside Resort. “We are so lucky to have seasonals that help us and our wonderful staff that all volunteer. It makes everything free for them.”
Brown’s motivation comes from personal experience at similar free camps and a desire to help young athletes who may grow up to become professional athletes like him.
“When I was growing up, I had camps like this to go to because my momma didn’t have no money to pay for all of these crazy camps,” Brown said. “You never know—it could be a future star out here doing his thing.”
For athletes like high schooler Ayden Blume, the impact is immediate not just for them, but for their families as well. “The free experience of it makes me feel a lot better than having to have my mom pay for it,” Blume says.
The camp isn’t just about football. Brown and his team of coaches, including former Packer player Santana Dotson, teach athletes discipline, respect, and life lessons that reach far beyond the field and into adulthood.
“When Gilbert gets with them boys, they are clapping ‘one-two.’ They are ‘yes sir’ and ‘no sir.’ They are on it,” said Severson. “That is what it’s really all about—the kids. They are the ones that are going to make a difference in this world.”
One of the lessons Brown says he focuses on during camp is the importance of always giving everything you’ve got. “One of the main things in football that you can take in life is—even when you’re tired—you still got to be your best,” Brown said.
Whether these young athletes end up going pro or take a different path in life, Brown hopes the experience from the field leaves a lasting impression. “To be able to see these kids smile… to be able to teach them something and then they go out, and do it? That’s my reward,” said Brown.
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