WEST PALM BEACH – Cre’Von LeBlanc had a dream and a vision. The Belle Glade (Fla.) native and star cornerback always wanted to reach the NFL and be in position to give back. After years of hard work, dedication, and sacrifice, it came full circle at his inaugural Strap For It Football Camp on Saturday, July 15.
Held at The King’s Academy School in West Palm Beach (Fla.), a host of fellow NFL players, former college football players, and high school coaches assisted LeBlanc in putting forth a full-fledged football clinic for more than 200 youngsters who took advantage of this opportunity. They engaged in a series of passing, running, and catching drills on the King’s Academy fields with a level of enthusiasm that stayed on a high note throughout the day.
Lawanda Vereen LeBlanc, Cre’Von’s mother, was visibly beaming when she spoke of how this event came about and turned out for everyone involved.
“This was more of an education football camp,” Lawanda said. “We had the NCAA out there to tell our kids what they need to do in order to play college football. We’re going to have this every year, so we want to start with them (our kids) when they’re young.”
A host of individual awards were handed out to several camp attendees toward the event’s conclusion, which took place inside the King’s Academy gymnasium. In addition to that, there a lineup of speakers were on hand to encourage the youngsters, including the likes of Cre’Von LeBlanc, King’s Academy Hall of Famers Heath Evans (retired NFL player), Emmanuel Lamur (Minnesota VIkings linebacker) and Sammuel Lamur (former NFL player).
Evans, who was instrumental in Cre’Von’s camp being held at King’s Academy, offered his take on the former FAU cornerback’s overall progress as an NFL player and person.
“He started out with the Pats (New England Patriots), but he got another opportunity with the (Chicago) Bears,” Evans said. “He came in as a third corner, lived on the field, and made some great plays down the stretch. The Bears are growing as a team with some tough coaching, and I’m excited to see this young man’s growth. I’m glad King’s Academy gave him this facility to use for his camp, and I hope to be a bigger part of it next year.”
Atlanta Falcons safety Sharrod Neasman had some words of his own from the Strap For It Camp.
“We had a lot of kids out here,” the FAU alum said. “I was glad to be a part of this, helping the kids out in their drills. I’m just happy to see Cre’Von doing great things. I know him as a competitor, so it wasn’t a surprise to see him making the league. I played with him for all four years at FAU, so I got to see his athleticism and mindset for myself. He has a bright future ahead of him.”
Former FAU defensive coordinator Roc Bellantoni, along with several current and former FAU player, came on the stage to surprise Cre’Von with a special community service award toward the end of this camp. It showed the level of impact he had on and off the field while playing for the Owls from 2012-2015.
At the end of the day, everyone who knows Cre’Von can agree on one thing. He has not forgotten where he came from, and he has remained humble and productive despite all his success over the years.
“Nothing was handed to me, nothing was given to me,” Cre’Von told the Palm Beach Post. “I never had no handouts, I was never fed with a silver spoon. Everything in my life, I had to grind for, I had to work for. It took a lot of hard work and dedication, so I just came up with the slogan ‘strap for it.’ ”
Note: Other NFL players on hand to assist Cre’Von in this camp were the likes of Jatavis Brown (San Diego Chargers linebacker; Glades Central alum) Kelvin Taylor (Kansas City Chiefs running back; Glades Day alum), Joshua Thornton (Detroit Lions cornerback; former Glades Day player), and Tre Mason (NFL free agent; Park Vista alum). This was Cre’Von second community function this summer, the first of which was a cleanup event in Belle Glade on June 1 with Bears teammate/wide receiver and fellow Glades Central alumnus Deonte Thompson.
