HARRISBURG, Pa. — While the temperatures had already reached the 90s on Monday afternoon at Severance Field in Harrisburg, that did not stop hundreds of kids from competing at the 2nd Annual Micah Parsons Lions Den Football Camp and Carnival.
"Being able to give back to the community, at the end of the day, that's all it's about," said Parsons. "This community, this upbringing, building me and lifting me up and it's just my chance to give back."
The Dallas Cowboys linebacker and one of the NFL's top star players was back at the stadium where he finished his high school career. He's come a long way since he first stepped on the field for the Cougars.
"I was a 16-year-old kid coming through this program," recalled Parsons. "Through all the hardships, we've learned how to be grateful for everything. Grateful for the hard times, grateful for the good times, and grateful for all the adversity because they helped me become the man I am today."
The Harrisburg native went to many football camps in South Central Pennsylvania when he was younger, so he's been in the shoes of the campers who showed up to learn from him. Parsons held a camp on Sunday in State College, before finishing the summer stretch with the big finale in hometown.
"I have a terrific time. I think the highlight of my weeks is when I'm at these camps. I've been having camps all over the summer and I think those have been my biggest blessings. You don't really know how much impact you have on the kids because you don't have a lot of day-to-day with these kids," stated Parsons. "To see how they interact with me and the passion and love they have for me, that really opens up my eyes and my heart a lot."
The Harrisburg High School and Penn State graduate knows that many are facing tough times right now. So the most important element for the camp and carnival was to keep them free so that everyone could participate and enjoy themselves, and not have to worry about money.
"I'm never going to charge anyone at this camp," stated Parsons. "That's the point of bringing this community together. That's the point of having the carnival and giving out free meals. Just being around the community is what it's all about. I don't think there's anything more important than getting these kids on the right path and giving them a signal of hope, really to believe in them, someone who's like, 'Man, someone from my city did it. I know I can do it, too.'"