Todd Kelly Jr.'s First Annual Camp24

Former University of Tennessee player Todd Kelly Jr. will host a football camp in July with all proceeds donated to the Emerald Youth and Zaevion Dobson Memorial foundations.

Kelly, a defensive back for the Vols from 2014-18, is now a wealth management associate for The Trust Company of Tennessee’s office in Knoxville.

The “Camp 24” Football Camp will be held Saturday, July 9, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Sansom Sports Complex on 234 Dale Ave., next to the Fort Sanders neighborhood. It is open for ages 7-14 for a camp fee of $60 and registration is available online via Eventbrite.com.

“I am a native of Knoxville who now makes a living in my hometown, and I want to give back to my community and help young football players realize their dreams. The name of the camp reflects a way to honor the late Zaevion Dobson, who sacrificed his life to save his friends from gunfire. Emerald Youth Foundation also will be a beneficiary of the camp proceeds because of its track record of success of guiding youth on and off the field of play.”

Dobson, a 15-year-old sophomore football player at Fulton High School, was killed Dec. 17, 2015, after shielding two classmates from random gunfire while they sat on a front porch in Lonsdale. Three men later were convicted of the murder and are each serving more than 100 years in prison on multiple counts. Kelly changed his jersey from No. 6 to No. 24 to honor Dobson, who wore the number at Fulton.

The non-profit Zaevion Dobson Memorial Foundation, established in 2016, provides recreational and educational services for underserved communities, including academic scholarships. The non-profit Emerald Youth Foundation provides youth with a faith-based path, high-quality education and health, well-being and athletic activities.

The camp will consist of drills, stations and competitions to improve each player’s technique and skill set on an individual basis. Campers should wear regular athletic attire with cleats or sneakers. The camp will be conducted with no contact and without football pads. All registered campers will receive a T-shirt as well as coupons from local businesses.

A meet-and-greet session will be held with current Tennessee athletes throughout the camp. At the end of the camp, food trucks will be onsite for purchase of food and beverages.

The following sponsors have pledged to support Camp 24 and its mission to unite Knoxville’s younger generation: D1 Sports Training; The Trust Company of Tennessee; Rice Buick GMC; Prince Technologies; Gambuzza’s Barber Shop; Tim Burchett; Kennedy Concepts; Ephant Group; Avalon Golf & Country Club; Southland Realtors – Breanne Grubb; ΚΑΨ Mu Rho Chapter – Fall ’17; Shafer Insurance – Stanton Oster; and Smoothie King