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New Orleans Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor is not somebody that shies away from his roots and that was evident when he made a return to Manchester on Saturday, June 21 to host the second annual ‘Chosen One’ Football Camp.

Around 350 youths aged 6-18 attended the camp at Taylor’s old stomping grounds of Carden-Jarrell Field, where they went through a myriad of skill-testing drills.

“We do an agility section first, where we work on running, dropping your weight, coming to a complete stop, shuffling and things that get the legs loose,” said Taylor. “After that we have a break, where the kids get to ask me questions and pick my brain, but I also I like to have an opportunity for the parents to ask me questions as well, because the kids will ask football questions, but the parents usually ask life questions relating more to a player’s journey.”

After the Q-and-A session is completed, the young football players are then sorted into position-specific stations to work on technique, and then towards the end of the camp, the players are given a chance to compete against each other in one-on-one drills.

At the conclusion of the camp, a select few of the camp-goers are chosen as MVP’s and given gifts ranging from an Alontae Taylor signed Saints practice jersey to a football signed by the entire New Orleans Saints team. There were several other goodies given out to every camp-goer, including Saints yearbooks signed by Taylor as well as Prime drinks, drawstring bags, t-shirts and lunch sponsored by Chick-fil-A.

Apart from learning new skills and having fun on a hot summer day, Taylor is hoping that each of the young football players go home with a sense of determination.

“My biggest goal out of all of this, is to motivate the next kid that has a dream,” he said. “No one’s guaranteed to make the NFL or any professional sport, but as long as you put your best foot forward, it’s all about who you become.”

Taylor started playing football at the age of five, made a name for himself at the high school level with Coffee County, played college football with the Tennessee Volunteers and then reached his dream of playing in the NFL in 2022 when he was drafted by the New Orleans Saints. Throughout his 21-year-long football journey, Taylor has never lost sight of where he came from, which is what motivates him to continue running this camp year after year.

“I’m a big believer in staying rooted where you come from,” he said. “The NFL is a journey; you see guys come and go. Coming back here just keeps me grounded and reminds me of where I come from, the hard work to get to the big stage and to play every Sunday and represent this community. I kid you not, it means a lot to me coming from a small town and then making it to the stage that I’m currently at. Like I told the kids, this is a forever thing. Even when I’m retired, I’m still going to come back and try to give that next generation hope.”