GOOD HOPE, Ala. – This week was a special one for all aspiring young football stars in Good Hope. Thursday and Friday, more than 70 young players gathered at James W. Shabel Stadium to participate in the first ever Tanner Malin Youth Football Camp, led by former Raiders standout Tanner Malin. Malin helped lead Good Hope to multiple deep playoff runs in his Raider years and now he’s excited for the opportunity to give back to a community that has meant so much to him.
“During my Christmas break this past year my dad and I were talking about ideas for something cool to do over the summer and give back to the community. I brought it up to Coach (Alan) Scott and Dustin Johnson and they loved the idea. They brought it up with the Quarterback Club and it really just took off from there to becoming a reality,” Malin said. “So that’s really how it all started. I’ve always enjoyed going to camps and I just thought it would be cool to have one and kind of give back some of what Good Hope gave to me. Good Hope has been such a special part of my life.”
Malin didn’t have trouble finding help when he came up with the idea for the camp, recruiting some other former local players, college teammates and several Good Hope High School coaches to help run the event.
“I got some of my college teammates. I got Tre Bright who went to Calera High School and Josh Richardson who went to Jefferson Davis in Montgomery and then we got Zeke White from Cold Springs,” Malin said. “I just brought the idea up to them and they loved the idea from the beginning. They all wanted to help the kids learn and get better.”
For Malin, this year’s camp has been a great chance for him to share some of the knowledge and skills he’s collected over the years with some of the kids that were cheering him on all that time.
“It’s really cool to see them again and have some of the same interactions that I had in high school,” Malin said. “They’ve all been asking how I’ve been, how college has been. It’s been really special to be able to do this.”
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