Sports Spotlight: ECU quarterback Holton Ahlers hosts youth football camp

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - Holton Ahlers spent his Saturday at his alma mater D.H. Conley, hosting his first annual youth football camp, giving back and teaching boys of all ages the basic fundamentals of football.

For Ahlers, the chance to be a mentor and step back onto the field he grew his game on was an incredible experience.

“It’s the whole reason I stayed in Greenville, stayed at ECU to play here. To have kids that look up to you like this is a dream come true,” Ahlers said. “It’s hard to believe just five years ago I was playing on this field as a high schooler and now I am hosting a camp of almost 100 kids.”

While offensive and defensive drills were the focus of the camp, Ahlers hopes that the campers’ biggest takeaway was remembering to be good people.

“I try to help people as much as I can and be a good person,” Ahlers said. “That is the one thing I want them to learn.”

Campers in attendance gave the camp five stars, even giving their parents special shoutouts for the opportunity.

“It means a lot to me and I’m glad that my mom signed me up,” Bronson Faulkner said. “It was a great opportunity to learn and have fun.”

A number of Ahlers’ ECU teammates helped him with the camp. As football season gets closer and closer, the Pirates quarterback says the teamwork will help build chemistry on the field.

As the nearly 100 kids left the field with new skills and experiences, they also now had friends in ECU football players.

Ahlers expressed that he and his teammates couldn’t be more grateful to be role models for the boys.

ECU’s football team will be back in action for its home and season opener on Sept. 3rd at noon against NC State.

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