With the Dallas Cowboys enjoying another couple weeks of vacation before convening for training camp in Oxnard, CA, the team opened the doors at Valley Ranch last weekend to host the inaugural Nike Football Festival.
All told, 16 local high schools participated in the festival, which kicked off on Friday night with a dinner and a brief address from former Chargers and Jets star LaDainian Tomlinson. There was also a seven-on-seven tournament and a number of skills competitions, and Cowboys players Brandon Weeden and Tyrone Crawford were there to watch and work with the young players.
“It gives them every opportunity to succeed,” Weeden said of the event, per the Cowboys official website. “All these schools here are obviously some of the best in the state of Texas, and most would argue Texas has the best high school football in the country. The goal is to play at the next level ... and events like this are kind of the starting steps to get there.”
Weeden added that he was impressed with the talent present at the camp.
“We didn’t have anything like this. We went to seven-on-seven tournaments and the coaches were the referees. We didn’t have tents or none of that, but this is unbelievable,” Weeden said. “The job that Nike has done is really remarkable ... There are some kids out here that look like they could play on Saturdays for sure, and some of these guys look like they could play on Sundays.”
Stay on top of the latest Dallas Cowboys news with NBCDFW.com. Follow NBC DFW on Facebook or have breaking Cowboys news sent directly to your phone with Blue Star SMS alerts. Text "bluestar" to 622339 (NBCDFW) to subscribe, text HELP for more info, and text STOP to end the subscription. Message and data rates may apply.Read more about it here.
