HUNTINGTON -- It's evolved into a unique weekend on the Tri-State sports calendar.
On Saturday, hundreds of children will descend on Joan C. Edwards Stadium for the Bartrum and Brown Football Camp. The annual instructional camp provides youngsters with one-on-one instruction from former Marshall University standouts and current National Football League players; proceeds, meanwhile, benefit youth programs and charities.
The morning session, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, is for campers in grades one through four. Following a lunch break, the latter session, for grades five to eight, runs from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Headlining the camp are former Marshall University football teammates Mike Bartrum and Troy Brown. After leading the Thundering Herd to the 1992 Division I-AA national championship, Bartrum and Brown enjoyed decade-plus careers in the National Football League. Each is a Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame member.
"We look forward to this so much each year," Bartrum said. "So many of the former players really enjoy coming back and working with the kids."
They'll be joined by numerous former Marshall standouts and NFL players. Chad Pennington, a Heisman Trophy finalist at Marshall and now the New York Jets quarterback, is scheduled to attend, along with former Thundering Herd tailback Ahmad Bradshaw, who earned a Super Bowl ring with the New York Giants last season as a rookie.
Also scheduled to attend and provide instruction are Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook, New England Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel and veteran NFL pass rusher Javon Kearse. Joining Pennington and Bradshaw among former Thundering Herd greats include Reggie Oliver, Carl Lee, Billy Lyon, Andre O'Neal and Chris Massey, the St. Louis Rams long-snapper. Young Thundering Herd head coach Jack Lengyel and Red Dawson, a Lengyel assistant coach on the storied 1971 team, also are scheduled to attend.
Cost is $40 on the day of the camp and registration forms are available at www.bartrumandbrown.com. Camp organizer Mary Gannon said the current pre-registration of 255 campers has exceeded the norm.
"It's just grown over the years and being at Marshall has helped," Gannon said. "Kids like getting on the turf."
Proceeds from the annual camp go to youth programs and charities in Huntington where Brown resides and in Pomeroy, Ohio, where Bartrum lives. Other donations are made to the A.D. Lewis Community Center, New Horizons Day Care, Rutland (Ohio) Little League and other charities in the Tri-State.
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