Former NFL player hosts free football camp to develop Southwest Florida talent

NAPLES, Fla. — Former NFL player Edward Gant brought his professional experience to North Collier Regional Park on Sunday. He hosted a free football camp for young athletes in Southwest Florida.

About 50 athletes ages 10 and older participated in the camp, learning fundamentals from coaches who are former high-level players. The session focused on position-specific drills designed to master basic football skills.

Gant, who played for teams including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Arizona Cardinals, serves as the camp's director. The Fort Myers native said he believes in the local talent but feels the area lacks high-level coaching opportunities.

Additional coaches included Mario Pender, a former 5 star running back and running back at Florida State University. Tanner Hilton was a quarterback at Eastern Carolina University and Fritz Jacques attended Kent State and an NFL Defensive back Draft Prep Coach.

Money should not be an obstacle to quality coaching, according to Gant, who emphasized his commitment to sharing knowledge freely.

"It's my knowledge not for me to keep. It's my knowledge to give. You know, some knowledge is free. Some game is free. Some game, you got to pay. A lot of people say the saying that you pay for what you get. But in this time, I just want to spread my knowledge out. I want to get kids that are basic fundamentals," Gant said.

He hopes these training sessions will continue to grow and become a regular offering in the future.

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