Jets open training camp to youth football players

FLORHAM PARK — Braeden McDonnell wore a green-and-gold Rockaway Rockets football jersey and a matching, day-old Jets-logo cap to the NFL team's training facility in Florham Park on Monday.

"I'm not a Jets fan. I just want them to sign the hat," said the 8-year-old from Rockaway Twp.

He wasn't alone.

More than 1,200 youth football players from 30 New Jersey and New York programs attended the Jets training camp on Monday, turning the bleachers into a rainbow of team jerseys. The inflatables were huge pre-practice highlights, with even the older boys waiting in long lines to bounce down the slide or run the obstacle course. Asked who his favorite player is, 7-year-old Jamille Fort said, "No. 99," and pointed at the massive balloon wearing a Jets jersey and helmet near the entrance to the practice facility.

For Fort, a running back with the Plainfield Cardinals who attended camp with his teammates and father, Tyre Fort, football is simple.

"You have fun," said Jamille Fort, in his third year of football. "You get to play with your teammates. You get to make new friends. And also you get to tackle people. ... I want to learn from the people who are the best."

Nick Rex, the 8-year-old center on the Rockaway Rockets pre-clinic team, was anxious to watch Jets center Nick Mangold on Monday, to learn "all the stuff I don't know." He was hoping the Jets would run the shotgun during practice, because "it's really hard, and you can get better and better at it. Plus, (the snap) has to be perfect." Grayhawks defensive tackle Joshua Kondrowski, a 13-year-old from Boonton, wanted to see Jets linebacker Demario Davis. Davis, a fourth-year pro, has come to Grayhawks practice in the past, teaching drills and "respect for everybody, other players and coaches."

Eight-year-old Joey Morales of Wharton just started playing organized football last week with the Super Peewee Junior Knights.

"I like the tackling," he said. "I have to get the ball if anybody else has it. I hope to learn to get all the positions right."

South River Knights mighty mite assistant coach James Stewart Jr. pointed out different techniques and plays to his 8-year-old son Ryker and youth teammate Michael Marchesi. Stewart Jr. recalled going to Jets games at Shea Stadium with his own father, and bringing his sons to the Meadowlands.

"The same way we instruct them in practice, the coaches here instruct their players, even though they're professional athletes," said Stewart Jr., a Newark police detective. "It's in your blood. We've been through a lot of down seasons, but you've got to keep the faith. Hopefully the Jets are cultivating a young fan base who will support them down the road."

Staff Writer Jane Havsy: 973-428-6682; jhavsy@dailyrecord.com; www.dailyrecord.com/writerjane/