ENGLEWOOD — There is a field in South Florida that is like Rucker Park for football.
Players of all ages show up, run routes, and catch passes, polishing skills with open ears. Jerry Jeudy often wandered over there to improve his craft, sometimes sharing the park with friend Lamar Jackson.
Those fun days are part of the reason Jeudy found himself at Englewood High School on a blistering hot Tuesday morning. He held his Jerry Jeudy Football Camp for 180 kids. It was a high-energy event of drills, snazzy receptions and races with groups titled Broncos and Crimson Tide.
"You know, you just want to bring the young kids out from this community to have fun playing football, to be able to learn from the older guys. It is exciting to teach them the fundamentals. It reminds me a little bit of myself when I was younger, just going out there with older folks, playing ball and soaking in all the information. That’s what I want to relay to these kids," Jeudy said.
"It’s exciting to see how excited they are to be able to play the game of football and ask me a bunch of different questions," he continued. "These kids are pretty funny. One guy told me, 'How come every time I bench you, you don’t put up points on my fantasy league team?' These kids are funny. I get a bunch of laughs out here."
Jeudy's personality began to show last season as his play improved and his role increased. Over the last six games, Jeudy, 24, caught 37 passes for 523 yards and three touchdowns. His ability intersected with his potential, showing the traits of a No. 1 receiver.
"The biggest thing for me really is consistency. I know what I can do, and I am capable of playing at a high level. I showed it," Jeudy said. "The thing now is to bring those last six games into the new year. It's about starting off strong and staying consistent."
After uncertainty this offseason as his name appeared in trade rumors — the Broncos, desperate for draft picks, listened to calls on the receiver, but held firm on wanting a first-rounder — Jeudy remains optimistic about his future. The club picked up his fifth-year rookie option, and he likes the fit in new coach Sean Payton's offense.
"He’s a great, offensive-minded guy. He puts guys in position to be successful, and puts me in different alignments, moving me around. And having other guys around me, it’s hard to focus on me," Jeudy said. "We’ve got K.J. (Hamler), Courtland (Sutton), Tim (Patrick), and we’ve got running backs. There’s going to be a lot of pieces you have to focus on that he knows what to do with."
Availability remains critical. The corps of receivers has not been on the field together for two seasons, countless games lost to torn ACLs, a dislocated hip, sprained ankles, and strained shoulders and hamstrings. It's a close group, with many recently attending Sutton's wedding in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
"You know, it’s been a tough few years. So having everybody on the field, it’s going to be big," Jeudy said. "I know what we are capable of, and they know what we are capable of, so having everybody out there would be a hard group of guys to stop."
Jeudy was impossible to slow down Tuesday. He hustled from station to station, tossing passes, covering campers and smiling.
"Yeah, this is Jeud. He’s playful and goofy as can be. You really don’t get to see that side of him," said receiver Kendall Hinton said. "So, I think it’s great to see both sides.”
Hamler added: "At the end of the day we come out here to be big kids. We make sure they are enjoying themselves and teach them a little something about football. Jeud has become very comfortable in this situation. I am always glad to come out to his camp, first of all to support my brother. That’s my guy since high school. We just come out here to have fun, like kids on the playground."
Hamler, Hinton recovering well
Hamler knows he has reached the crossroads in his career. Explosive when he's played, he has appeared in only 23 games in three seasons, catching 42 passes. Hamler tore his pectoral muscle this offseason bench pressing — the day before the injury, he was lifting 275 pounds — but told Denver7 he should be fully cleared for training camp.
Kendall Hinton proved reliable last year in a bigger role, catching 24 passes for 311 yards. He is recovering from minor scope surgery on his left knee. He was walking and helping at Tuesday's camp, and said he expects to be ready for training camp.
