JOHNSONVILLE – Bengals pro football player and Johnsonville graduate Jim Maxwell returned over the past weekend to conduct a camp for area football players. About 45 kids showed up for the training.
“Since I graduated, I’ve learned a lot of things that could benefit high school players. I’ve been wanting to do this for four years, but I’ve been moving around and could not. It was a struggle this year, because I just got done with the Bengals a week ago. A lot of the organization has fallen on the coaches and my mother.”
“This year we have Johnsonville and Creek Bridge and a few individual athletes. Our plan is to make this an annual thing. Next year we hope we can get Carvers Bay, Hemingway, Lake City, Pamplico and other area schools. In these little schools, you only have so much time to practice. I like to get together the best and help them become better. They’ll get to know each other too. Then it will be fun to watch them put it into play during the season.”
Barbara Maxwell was proud to watch her son coaching. “This is his dream. He advertised this at $100 per camper, but didn’t get a lot of takers, so Jim decided to cut the price in half. He wanted to do it so bad that he didn’t care if he lost money. He wants to coach some day, some where, even if it’s small fry coaching.”
Mom added, “We especially want to thank Coach Lineberger for making these facilities available.”
Seven area coaches volunteered to help with the program. Al Calcutt, the Creek Bridge is an inspiration, said Mrs. Maxwell. Coach had done a fundraiser and was driving the bus himself to bring his students. Calcutt was once a lifeguard at the Johnsonville pool and he remembers Jim as the curly-haired kid who was always picking on him, she said.
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