Southeast KY Middle School Football Camp a huge success

Over 100 campers from all over the region converged at the Corbin High School Football Facilities for the second annual Southeastern Kentucky Middle School Camp on June 18 and 19.

On June 18, special guest speaker Trent Taylor, NFL wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, inspired players with his own success story.

Taylor lived in Corbin until he was in second grade when he moved with his family to Louisiana. He still has family that lives in the area. Taylor said it’s “a blessing to come back to where I used live.”

Taylor is 5’8” and received only one offer when it came to playing football in college. Taylor played college football for Louisiana Tech before being drafted in the fifth round of the 2017 draft to the 49ers.

Taylor’s father was a Corbin Redhound football player and inspired Taylor’s eventual career.

“I wanted to do exactly what my dad did, which was play college football,” Taylor said.

With his father as his role model, Taylor has become a role model for younger players.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to be where I am today,” Taylor said. “It’s all that I wished it was, and all that I thought it could be.”

Taylor reflected on the early years of his football career stating, “I know that I always enjoyed having speakers come in.”
Those events are what inspire him to talk to young players today.

“Any chance I have to give back, I want to do that because it’s a blessing to be in the position that I am in.”

Corbin High School Football Coach Justin Haddix said that it is so important for young athletes to meet and listen to players like Taylor is because this age, sixth to ninth grades, are the times when students start setting their goals.

Haddix introduced Taylor to the players by saying, “He is not here because of his size. He is here because of his hard work. He won’t quit I can tell you that. He gets that from his daddy for sure.”

Haddix said, “It makes a big impression” to have players like Taylor come back and speak. “A lot of times, you think its big city that you can only go do something if you’re from here or there, but he… made it to the NFL.”

Taylor offered players advice such as, “There are always going to be people trying to bring you down because other people are afraid to chase their dreams, but you can’t let that affect you.”