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SUNDAY, JULY 13, 2014 THE HUNTSVILLE ITEM 1B

by Paul tierney

HuntsvilleitemsPOrts@gmail.cOm

Former Huntsville High School stand-out running back Joseph Maxey isn’tgoing to make a dime off his secondannual The Next Generation FootballCamp. For Maxey, it’s not about money.It’s about the kids.

For the second consecutive year,Maxey will host his camp, which will beheld Aug. 2, for young, eager footballplayers at Huntsville’s EmancipationPark from 4-8 p.m.

He’s going to spend the next severalweeks posting flyers inside of any busi-ness that will let him, hoping to enticefuture generations of Huntsville Hornetsto learn the fundamentals of footballfrom those who came before them.

Maxey’s not going to get paid for it.The camp is free.

“Huntsville produces some of the best

ITEM FILE PHOTOKam Smithers was one of four boys to attend the first annual The Next Generation football camplast summer. The camp is hosted by former Huntsville High School running back Joseph Maxey.Maxey will host the camp again this year on Aug. 2 from 4-8 p.m. at Emancipation Park. He said hehopes his increased efforts to advertise the camp result in a higher attendance this year.

Giving back againFormer Huntsville Hornethosting free football campfor second straight summer

The Next Generation Camp Second-annual football camp, hostedby former Huntsville Hornet JosephMaxey, to be held at Emancipation Parkon Aug. 2 from 4-8 p.m. No charge forcampers.

See camP, page 2B

nFl training camP

GERALD HERBERT/ASSOCIATED PRESSFormer Sam Houston State running back Timothy Flanders reels in a catch during one of the New Orleans Saints’ organized team activities at their training facility in Metairie, La., on June 12. Flandersis trying to win a spot on New Orleans’ regular-season roster. Flanders is one of six running backs currently on the team and is trying to be one of the top five tailbacks in order to make the team follow-ing camp. Training camp is set to begin July 24 at the Greenbrier in Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, before concluding preseason workouts at the Saints’ facility in Metairie, Louisiana.

Fighting for roster spots

by gene scHallenberg

HuntsvilleitemsPOrts@gmail.cOm

All across the country, NFL trainingcamps will be getting underway andheated competition will kick off for play-ers hoping to earn roster spots.

After completing a record-breakingcareer at Sam Houston State, formerBearkats running back Timothy Flanderswill get his chance to prove himself withhis favorite team from childhood, theNew Orleans Saints.

“Everybody’s trying to get a spot,”Flanders said last Thursday. “We have alot of guys who I feel their spots aregoing to be there, no matter what. I’mnot too worried about that; I’m worried

about myself and how I’m going to go inthere and compete to get a roster spotwith the Saints.”

Flanders, who owns more than 30school records and holds SouthlandConference records for all-time rushingyards and touchdowns, signed anundrafted free-agent contract with theSaints following the NFL Draft in May.

The former Kats running back wentthrough rookie minicamp, followed byorganized team activities, in which hegot familiar with New Orleans’ playbookand players on the roster.

“It went pretty good,” said Flanders,who rushed for 5,664 yards on 999 car-

by gene scHallenberg

HuntsvilleitemsPOrts@gmail.cOm

James Davidson is one step closer tofulfilling a dream of being in the NFL.

The former Huntsville Hornet is get-ting ready for his first training camp withthe Cincinnati Bengals, hoping to win aregular-season roster spot and take thefield in Week 1.

“It’s good. It’s all about preparation,”Davidson said last week. “It really is allabout preparation. Surviving minicampwas the big one. I’m on the roster, on theteam, right now. They’re going to startmaking cuts. A lot of the older guys real-ly like me. They told me, ‘Hey, you’re a

Flanders hoping to join the stableof successful undrafted runningbacks with new Orleans saints

Playing a new position, former Hornet eager forcompetition at training

camp with bengals

AP FILE PHOTOFollowing rookie minicamp and organized teamactivities, former Huntsville Hornet JamesDavidson is preparing for training camp withthe Cincinnati Bengals, looking to make theregular-season roster.See bengals, page 3BSee saints, page 4B

ries and scored 66 touch-downs in his career withthe Bearkats. “I got startedwith rookie minicamp,then all of the guys whowere drafted or signedwere there the whole week.I felt like I did pretty goodin that.

“We went on to OTAs.When I first got there, theplaybook was kind of for-eign to me. As soon as Igot with the team and westarted going over things inpractice, by the end ofOTAs, we put in most ofthe playbook. Now, whenwe go back, we’re going toput in plays that we didn’tput in.

“For me, mainly whatI’m mostly going to beworried about is protec-tions and the route thatgoes with each protection.”

Flanders outlasted a fewplayers who were cut fromthe team during the sum-mer and now is one of 89players on the active rosterlooking to earn their spoton the 53-player roster forthe regular season.

In his short time work-ing out and practicing withthe Saints, he has gotten anidea of what to expect andthe kinds of things that willneed to do for NewOrleans’ high-flyingoffense.

“When you have a guylike Drew Brees as yourquarterback, the forma-tions are in a way wherethe running backs are lin-ing up outside of thereceiver, at slot receiver,”Flanders said.

“They do a good job ofgetting the running back

out of the backfield andinto the route. It alldepends on what the quar-terbacks ID, so you don’tnecessarily have to stay inand block all of the time.”

As far as competitionfor one of those covetedroster spots, it’s prettystraight forward for theformer Bearkat. Flanders isone of six running backsthe Saints currently haveon their roster. NewOrleans didn’t draft anyrunning backs and signedjust one other rookie tail-back, Derrick Strozier ofTulane, in the offseason.

The way Flanders seesit, he just has to be one ofthe top five running backson the depth chart and he’llbe on the active roster atthe start of the regular sea-son.

“Last year, they had fiverunning backs and theykept all five running backson the roster. This year incamp, there are six of uswith two rookies and fourveterans (Pierre Thomas,Mark Ingram, KhiryRobinson and TravarisCadet) from last year,”Flanders said. “Doing stuffwith special teams isalways helpful. I feel likewe have a good vibe andwe talk a lot out there andall during camps.

“My main thing is nowto go out there and contin-ue to work hard, keepdoing what got me there,continuing to stay humbleand just waiting for mychance. That’s all I can do.When the time comes, I’vejust got to show up. I needto practice with the attitudethat I need to get a spot.Special teams or not, I’mgoing to do everythingthey ask me to do when itcomes to scrimmages and

the preseason.” Coincidently, Ingram is

the only running back whowas drafted, meaning theSaints aren’t hesitant totake a long look at undraft-ed tailbacks who then seethe field.

Thomas, New Orleans’top running back, was afree agent acquisition fromIllinois when he made theroster in 2007. Just lastyear, Robinson caught theSaints’ eyes during therookie camp and OTAs,which got him the invite to

training camp as a tryoutplayer out of West TexasA&M last summer. Heproved impressive enoughto eventually make the reg-ular-season roster.

“The one thing you hopeis he is able to pick up theterminology so there is amental element to theweekend,” Saints headcoach Sean Payton told theTimes-Picayune’s TerranceHarris last month on whatcan impress him enough tokeep an undrafted freeagent or tryout player

around. “But in Khiry’scase, it took a while. Thereis a lot we are giving them.You want to see that theycan run, that they are fluid.

“But there are a lot ofthings you can’t see.Fortunately for us, wewere able to get him to the90-man roster at trainingcamp and it became a littleclearer. It’s assignment, it’sfootwork, speed and agili-ty. Those are some of thethings you can see out herewithout pads on.”

Robinson’s story is sim-

ilar to what Flanders is try-ing to emulate.

“Khiry Robinson, heplayed at West TexasA&M. He told me his storyand we’ve got a similarstory in a way kind of,”Flanders said. “Anotherrunning back, Cadet, wasalso undrafted. We all havekind of a similar back-ground. They’ve all beenvery helpful toward me.

“I learned a lot. Theytaught me a lot. Pierre, Iwant to say he was secondamong the running backswith the most catches. He’sbeen in the league for awhile and he’s been givingme tips and pointers tomake it easy on myself.That’s all I can do to capi-talize on those. Mark, he’sbeen very helpful.Anytime I have a questionabout something, he’ll tellme. The other runningbacks do a good job ofhelping me out.”

Flanders reports July 20for training camp, whichofficially begins July 24.The beginning of Saints’training camp will be heldat the Greenbrier inSulphur Springs, WestVirginia. Just before thesecond preseason game setfor Aug. 15, the Saints willreturn to Louisiana for theremainder of training campand practice at their facilityin Metairie, Louisiana.

After the final preseasongame against theBaltimore Ravens on Aug.28, the Saints will cut theirregular-season roster to 53players.

saintsContinued from page 1B

ITEM FILE PHOTOIn his four seasons of playing for Sam Houston State, running back Timothy Flanders (20) rushedfor 5,664 yards on 999 carries and scored 66 touchdowns. He hopes to also make strides and turnmore heads as he heads into training camp, starting on July 24, with the New Orleans Saints.

SUNDAY, JULY 13, 20144B THE HUNTSVILLE ITEM