Presented by the Aaron Jones Foundation, the combined camp event “Orlando Quarterback Shootout” and “Battle in the Pit” is taking place for the fourth time.

The camp will be held on Saturday, July 13th from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Central Florida Christian Academy.

The combined camp and competition not only brings together all position groups – from quarterbacks to linemen to specialty players – but also intends to bring the community together through various forms of mentoring and coaching to benefit the Aaron Jones Foundation Scholarship Program.

“Through our work with the Aaron Jones Foundation, which offers a scholarship program for youth football and cheerleading, we decided to also host a football camp every year to give back to the Central Florida community,” said Lo Wood, CEO and President of Excel Speed ​​and Fitness Training. “Along with (Neese High football coach) Collin Drafts, who founded the Orlando Quarterback Shootout, we combined his camp with ours, the Battle in the Pit, about four years ago to bring all the positions together for one camp and really try to bring the entire Central Florida football community together for a mentoring and youth football camp experience. We bring in a lot of different people, different high school coaches, different youth coaches, trainers and, coolest of all, we bring in NFL players that have either gone through our program or that we have relationships with.”

One of the best experiences of the camp is the contact that participants have with current and former NFL and major college football players.

At the 2023 camp, NFL Hall-of-Famer and Super Bowl champion Warren Sapp, an Apopka High graduate, worked directly with the defensive linemen. This year, former first-round NFL draft picks Karl Joseph and Brandon Meriweather will host and coach the camp, along with current Florida State quarterback Trever Jackson – the 2023 camp MVP.

From the very beginning, camp participants have personal contact with the three hosts and the camp trainers.

“As soon as campers come in to register, they automatically meet all the former NFL players and all the coaches that will be guiding them at camp,” Wood said. “They'll meet Karl Joseph. They'll meet Brandon Merriweather and Trever Jackson and Aaron Jones and all the former players. We'll have almost 20 other coaches there that either played in college or in the NFL. Campers will talk to them and be around guys that played in college and graduated – guys that are legit first-round draft picks.”

In addition to the opportunity to meet former players, the camp will also feature professionals from various industries such as lawyers, motivational speakers and authors to broaden campers' horizons and help them understand that football is a great way to earn a college degree.

After the initial introduction, a group of motivational speakers takes over the microphone before the camp participants enter the soccer field.

“That's where the hard work starts, because this isn't a camp where you're just running around and playing football,” Wood said. “This is a real camp that's designed — for the older kids — to help them get a college scholarship — if they show up and prove themselves. That's the type of camp that we have. With the special position coaches that we have and the coaches that we have, we help these kids get to the next level. We even have football recruiting writers out there, so you get a chance to get in front of the writers from 247Sports, from Central Florida Preps … and if you do well, maybe your name will get out there and you'll get some exposure. So this is more than just going to a camp with NFL players to have fun. We take this opportunity seriously to help our local football players achieve their dreams, and we really coach and train them.”

Proceeds from the camp will benefit the foundation's scholarship program. The cost of this camp is $100 per quarterback and $50 for participants in other positions.

Participants will receive a camp-branded Dri-Fit T-shirt and lunch will be provided. Quarterbacks must bring their own football and linemen must also bring a helmet. All participants should bring football cleats and wear athletic clothing that is comfortable in the sun. To register or for more information, visit quarterbacknation.com.