Giants' Cam Skattebo hosts youth football camp in Mineola
Giants running back Cam Skattebo works with children on the football field while hosting a youth football clinic at Hampton Stadium on Monday in Mineola. Credit: Newsday/Howard Schnapp
Cam Skattebo didn’t walk into his football camp Monday with his traditional “Woo!” the way he did at the Giants’ town hall last week. But he still got wild cheers from kids waiting for his arrival.
A rainy morning couldn’t keep fans away from Hampton Stadium in Mineola. Hundreds of kids took the field wearing white Skattebo shirts, participated in drills and got pictures with the Giants running back.
It’s the latest sign of Skattebo’s growing popularity. Several fans wore his No. 44 jersey throughout the stands. One kid who caught a touchdown pass at the end of camp even mimicked Skattebo’s celebration pose and flexed his arms at his waist before yelling.
“I never thought I’d run camps, but seeing this, parents and kids, come out to support me, this is probably my favorite moment being in the NFL,” Skattebo told the campers. “Because you don’t get this stage at the college level.”
He didn’t take questions from reporters but answered three questions from the kids.
One was a more detailed update on his recovery from ankle surgery. Skattebo said he is maybe two to three weeks from “fully feeling myself.’’ He then repeated his statement from the Giants’ town hall that he’ll be ready by training camp.
Still, that timeline confirmed he’ll be out through OTAs and the team’s mandatory minicamp from June 8-10.
Another kid asked about his favorite NFL experience. Skattebo didn’t name his three-touchdown performance on Thursday Night Football last season. Instead, he said it was the opportunity to do football camps.
Skattebo recalled the only camp he attended as a kid was one put on by former NFL receiver Austin Collie. He wanted to help give kids that same experience.
The kids rotated through 12 stations doing various football drills. At one of the stations, they lined up on offense and defense while Skattebo played quarterback, tossing the ball around.
At several points, Skattebo playfully tried to block kids from tackling a ballcarrier. It wasn’t the thunderous hits he dished out as a rookie but still a good challenge for kids trying to move around him.
“He blocked me good. It was hard to get past him,” Dorian Reilly of Queens said.
Aaron Rapple, also from Queens, caught one of Skattebo’s passes and thought it was cool, given that Skattebo is used to catching passes from Jaxson Dart.
His friend, Nicholas Ferrara, enjoyed all the drills but had a clear favorite.
“Getting to play with Skattebo. He was really nice,” Ferrara said.
For Skattebo, that was the goal. As his star power rises, he understands the value of sharing that with the next generation. Just as attending Collie’s camp was memorable, he wanted kids to leave with a great memory.
And he enjoyed it as much as they did.
“Being able to throw this for you guys and having you guys come out here and meet me and see me,” Skattebo said. “And seeing [the parents] support me is amazing, so I appreciate you guys.”
Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
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