SCOTT SIMON, host: A football camp with extra impact wrapped up recently. The University of Southern California and the National Football League gathered close to 100 seventh and eighth graders for a three week football camp that taught them that much of football is hard work, discipline and study. So the youngsters studied math, science and English, as well as blocking, tackling and passing. They calculated Peyton Manning's passing percentage and made paper airplanes that simulated the aerodynamics of a thrown football.</s>SCOTT SIMON, host: A USC talent scout selected most of the boys, almost all from inner city neighborhoods. Rick Ellison, who played for both the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders, started the camp. He told the Los Angeles Times the essence of the whole program is to develop these young men from disadvantaged male youth, so you give them a chance in life so they can help our society down the line.
An NFL-backed camp at the Southern Cal campus teaches football fundamentals... but also puts participants through stiff academic drills. Former USC star Riki Ellison conceived the camp for disadvantaged youngsters.