#CuseCamp17: Fort Drum Youth Day a Hit

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Orange football program welcomed youth football players to the Ensley Athletic Center on Sunday for "Fort Drum Youth Football Day," an engagement initiative featuring a skills clinic, presentations and an autograph session with 'Cuse players. The participants were youth football players whose family members serve in the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division stationed at Fort Drum.

"It's an awesome experience for our guys and I'm sure it is good for the kids," said tight ends coach Reno Ferri, a 2000 graduate of the U.S. Miliary Academy at West Point. "For the guys on our team to have a chance to see what these kids go through and to understand the sacrifice they make and to be able to help them is an unbelievable experience."

The youngsters and their families arrived just prior to the end of practice and watched the final team period from the sidelines before joining in the fun. The campers rotated through six stations, including a blocking station with the offensive lineman, a ball security station with the running backs and a receiving station with the wide receivers and quarterbacks.

"Just seeing a bunch of kids with a pure love of the game is always fun to be around and it makes you remember why you fell in love with the game in the first place," said senior linebacker Zaire Franklin.

Following the skill instruction, the campers and their families heard from several members of the Orange, including Franklin, quarterback Eric Dungey and wide receiver Ben Brickman who served four years in the Marines.

Brickman enlisted right out of high school and completed two tours in Afghanistan before going back to school to get a degree in business. He spent two seasons at Hudson Valley Community College before transferring to Syracuse and joining the football program in March 2017. He emphasized the importance of perseverance both on and off the field.

"If you try hard at anything and believe in yourself, you can do it," said Brickman. "If you don't believe in yourself, you've already lost and that's a lesson that I've learned all the way through football."

Sunday's event aligns with and supports Chancellor Kent Syverud's commitment to make Syracuse University the best place in America for veterans. This effort has included a series of strategic initiatives, including the creation of the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (OVMA) and the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF). It's also one piece of the overall Syracuse Athletics Military Appreciation Program, presented by SEFCU, which includes a variety of military-themed recognitions across all SU sports throughout the academic year.

One of those engagement initiatives is the "Cuse for the Troops" ticket program. For $20, fans can sponsor a ticket to the Syracuse-Wake Forest football game on Veterans Day (Nov. 11) and send a member of our armed forces to the game for free. To sponsor a ticket, click here or call the Carrier Dome Box Office at 888-DOME-TIX.

Syracuse Athletics also offers the "Military Pass," which grants active-duty military personnel and veterans two complimentary tickets to a home football game each month of the 2017 season. Complimentary tickets are available for SU's Sept. 9 game against Middle Tennessee and the Oct. 7 game against Pittsburgh during Orange Central Weekend. On Nov. 11, veterans and active-duty military may receive up to four free tickets to the Wake Forest game on Military Appreciation Day, presented by SEFCU.

Complimentary tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis and must be requested at least five (5) days prior to the game. Military personnel should register here with their Troop ID to reserve tickets.

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Syracuse University Athletics

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Ben Brickman

Eric Dungey

Zaire Franklin

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