Philadelphia Eagles running back Miles Sanders grew up in Pittsburgh, attending Steelers camp events and is now paying that forward by providing that same opportunity for his community in hopes of changing the lives of the youth.
Sanders, who was drafted by the Eagles in 2019, believes the biggest key to seeing a change in the world is working with the children. He aims to make a positive impact by providing the kids with fun learning experiences on the field, emphasizing the importance of teamwork and good character.
“I'm watching how the world is, the country is, just trying to help in my way … trying to create change,” Sanders told NBC. “The only way I know how to do that is with the youth, you've got to change their mentality. You've got to change the way they think in some ways by just showing them you can do it in a different way. Just trying to give these kids a bigger picture when they see guys like me or anybody else. Because I remember being one of those kids when I was young.”
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Sanders says that the most rewarding part of holding youth football camps is interacting with the kids that look up to him and other football players. Some of the most important conversations with these kids include asking simple questions like what their names are or if they’re having fun at the event.
The positive feedback Sanders gets from these kids’ parents also makes it all worth it, knowing he made a difference even in the smallest way.
“I just remember being a kid and just thinking that a football player is a superhero,” Sanders said. “And then when you hear the feedback from the parents and they tell you how nice you are with kids, how interactive you are with the kids, that's genuine because I genuinely want to see these kids smile. I genuinely want to see these kids grow up and do something with themselves. I don't want to see nobody in the streets making bad decisions.”
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Sanders and his mother teamed up this past summer to host their inaugural Miles Sanders Youth Football Camp in Pittsburgh. The camp was a three-hour event for kids between the ages of 6 to 13 and was completely free for all 250 attendees.
Sanders, who played college football for Penn State for three seasons, preaches the importance of education to kids. He says the most important thing is to graduate high school and to work hard in the classroom because the talent on the field can only take you so far.
“No matter how talented you are in high school, you have to have the grades to get into school,” Sanders said. “And I've seen too many players like me, people like me in this city that I'm from, just fold. It's more. I can't even count my fingers.”
Sanders, who is a key part of the Eagles' undefeated 2022 season, credits his mother for helping him devote time to the youth and providing unwavering love to him and his brothers.
“My mom sacrificed everything her whole life to make sure me and my two brothers are at where we are today,” Sanders said. “So that's what I do. I went out there for my mom. It's just been me and her. We've been doing a lot of stuff together since I got into the league and just trying to do so much for the community and business and all types of stuff. She's my right hand right now.”
Sanders and the Eagles (5-0) return to competition on Oct. 16 as they take on the Dallas Cowboys (4-1) at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.