NFL player Chris Evans brings his training camp to Battle Creek with the message of giving back

BATTLE CREEK – Many of the nearly 100 children who lined up on the Battle Creek Central football field Saturday dream of one day becoming NFL players.

When they see an NFL player like Chris Evans coming to their town and giving back by hosting a youth football camp, that dream becomes a little more real.

The Chris Evans Camp Tour stopped at CW Post Field in Battle Creek on Saturday and was hosted by Chris Evans, a former University of Michigan football standout who now plays in the NFL.

In addition to learning soccer skills and drills, Evans spoke to the campers – ages 6 to 14 – about what it means to work hard to achieve your dreams and how to give back to your community in any way possible.

“I wanted to give all these kids an opportunity to be exposed to something they’re not used to, which is having an NFL player in their town,” Evans said. “I’m big on giving back, so I wanted to put something in their minds, an idea of ​​how when they’re older, maybe they can give back to their community like we do today.”

Evans played running back for the Wolverines from 2016 to 2020. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2021 NFL Draft and has been a running back and kickoff return specialist for the team for three seasons.

Evans returned here after running a youth camp during his early years at the University of Michigan at Battle Creek in 2016. Evans reconnected with some of those who had gotten to know him during that time and who had seen him struggle with injuries during his college career and still make it to the NFL.

“A lot of people here met Chris when they were in third or fourth grade when he was still here,” said Jonathan Matthews, who helped organize the camp here in Battle Creek then and now. “A lot of people didn’t think Chris Evans was possible. That’s just like a lot of people didn’t think our kids here in Battle Creek were possible. And he managed to get to the NFL, and that’s what we want to show our kids.”

Battle Creek Central hosted numerous football camps at CW Post Field for a week, including a lineman camp and a specialist/kicker camp, as a lead-up to the Chris Evans camp on Saturday.

The Chris Evans Camp has been making stops across the state over the past few days, culminating in the late afternoon visit to Battle Creek.

Battle Creek Central football coach Lorin Granger hoped the city’s youth could draw inspiration from the former Wolverine star.

“Having him here is a message of hope, of possibility for these kids. Overall, it’s a great experience for a whole community,” Granger said. “These kids look up to a person who, to many of them, looks like themselves, and they see what’s possible. They dream of doing something at a high level, and with him here, they feel like there’s hope that they can do something like that, too.”

“That’s what we want for these kids. We want them to know that if they work hard, they can achieve their goals. That’s the great thing about a camp like this. It makes it all seem real.”

Reach Bill Broderick at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @billbroderick.

This article originally appeared in the Battle Creek Enquirer: Former Michigan star Chris Evans hosts football camp in Battle Creek