David Howard is no stranger to the football talent that resides in the city of Owensboro. One of the voices of Red Devils football on 102.7 and a former QB at Apollo High School and Kentucky Wesleyan University, Howard observed a consistent trend – local athletes were traveling hours away for training.
Striving to offer an in-house solution, Howard decided to create his own quarterback camp – Owensboro Elite QB Camp – which will be held over two weekends on June 20-21 and 27-28 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
“I have a six-year-old son, and I am teaching him how to throw the football,” Howard said. “That is where the lightbulb went off. If I can teach my 6-year-old son how to throw the football, surely, I can teach middle school and high schoolers, and I can give back. There are people in the community already doing some things, but for an elite camp, this will be the first of its kind in Owensboro.”
Teaming up with KWC, the camp will be located at Steele Stadium for sixth graders through seniors in high school. Howard was also able to find sponsorships from Moore Automotive, American Legion, and Independence Bank, as well as Beverly Slices.
The $150 price tag includes a dry-fit t-shirt and a 30-second personal highlight tape for each athlete to share on social media or send out to coaches. The first weekend will focus on technique, while the second weekend will include throwing to receivers.
“The first weekend is going to be heavy on throwing motion, shoulders, hips, and feet,” Howard said. “We can have receivers out there, but if we don’t have the right technique, it is kind of pointless. We have to get the correct technique and motion down. …On the second weekend, I will add a couple of receivers and have them run routes. It will be a lot of drills that not only can they do on the field, but also at home.”
Howard already has plans for the future, with the hope of adding wide receivers and tight ends to the camp mix. Currently, Howard has seven athletes signed up and is looking for around 14.
“Just me being a local boy born and raised, I played quarterback ever since Pop Warner when I was eight years old,” Howard said. “I played for the Bears, and I’ve played QB my entire life. I just think it’s silly that Owensboro doesn’t have anything for these kids, so basically, I saw a need, and I am trying to help fix that need. I want to get these kids local training, so they don’t have to travel all over.”
