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A few kids learn more about Dante Rosario

CarolinaPanthers8789

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CarolinaPanthers8789 Newbie

CarolinaPanthers8789

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Source: The Oregonian

It's remarkable what can happen when you remove all the barriers -- distance, turnstiles, ticket prices -- between kids and their NFL idols. What happens is Dante Rosario's free football camp --"Dante's Inferno" -- held Friday through today at Linfield College.

More than 200 kids ran drills, chomped sandwiches and surrounded the 6-foot-4, 250-pound former University of Oregon tight end Saturday as though he were the Statue of Liberty. And they fired questions with the free-wheeling confidence of NFL quarterbacks.

"What year was your first playing football," one boy asked.

"Fourth grade," said Rosario, who grew up in nearby Dayton.

"Dante, are you pro or con hunting," another asked. The other kids, seated in Linfield's stands as the Carolina Panther spoke to them, laughed.

"I don't really hunt, but I don't see a problem in it," Rosario said. "I like to fish, though."

"I was wondering if, so we can see you, you can kick a football for us," a kid asked. Several seconded with "yeah!"

"He's a tight end," said Tim Harris, president of the sponsoring See Ya Later Foundation and moderator of the Q-and-A session. Rosario looked sideways at Harris and smiled into his microphone.

"Oh, I can kick a football," Rosario said.

The session broke up so the kids could get ready for the afternoon punt, pass and kick competition -- and so Rosario could warm up.

The youth-activity See Ya Later Foundation is based in McMinnville and inspired by the fighting spirit of a local boy who died of cancer. It ran Rosario's camp, for third- through eighth-graders, with help from an NFL grant and a donation of footballs from Reebok -- one for each camper.

Rosario said he didn't go to any football camps with professional players when he was a kid, but was glad this one is 2 1/2 days long. Some pros show up for a brief afternoon camp, more for appearance than to connect or teach skills.

But before the kids returned to drills, they couldn't resist surrounding Rosario on the field, offering the backs of their blue camp T-shirts for him to sign, and lobbing more questions.

"Who did you look up to as a kid?"

"(Former Denver running back) Terrell Davis."

"How much do you bench press?"

"Last time I maxed it was 395 (pounds)."

"What's your favorite band?"

"I don't have a favorite band, actually. There's too much music out there to have a favorite."

"What kind of music do you like?"

"Hip-hop, rap. I listen to everything, though. I'm a well-rounded person."

"When you were a rookie, was (former Oregon running back) Jonathan Stewart on your team?"

"No. He was a rookie my second year."

The camp is full this year, and organizers hope to expand it next year. Rosario also hopes to coax another pro to attend: Stewart.

As Rosario answered the last few questions, a boy asked, "Can you please sign my T-shirt, Dante?"

His friend, wearing an Oregon State hat, said, "But he's not a Beaver."

"So?" the boy replied. "He's Dante."

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CatmanJack Newbie

CatmanJack

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Well that's nice he's doing such a nice thing for the community... now to get work on those false starts :rant:

I second that, and add being more consistent at catching the ball. If he does those two things, his game will be so much better.

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