McAlister, Wilcox Work On Weekend

Chris McAlister had a busy weekend, using his free time in the midst of Ravens organized team activities to host a free football camp at M&T Bank Stadium. For the Pro Bowl cornerback, it was a great way to spend a Saturday.

Held on June 2, McAlister invited 200 high school students to participate in his first free football camp in the Baltimore area, funded by donations to the Chris McAlister Foundation.

"I have to tell you, it was really a lot of fun," said McAlister. "I know the kids were having a good time, but I think I had the most fun out there."

McAlister was assisted by some local high school coaches and teammates, as Bart Scott and Gerome Sapp visited with the participants.

While the group got their share of coaching in football, McAlister also arranged for life skills training with help from Ravens team nutritionist Sue James and program coordinator for the University of Maryland Football Academic Support and Career Development department, Kendra Greene.

"I wanted to give everyone that came out a chance to see that it's not just about what you can do on the field," McAlister said. "Life is more important, and you have to prepare early."

Here is a list of coaches that participated:

Tom LaNeve NFL PPK Maryland Rep.
Kevin Alexander Boys Latin
Wallace Sifford Boys Latin
Scott Ropley Gilman
Gary Willis Chesapeake High School
Jeff Cave Old Mill High School
Ben Thompson Old Mill High School
Ron Smalley Old Mill High School
Damian Ferragamo Old Mill High School
Tom Ruhl Baltimore Bulls
Derrick Krumholtz Baltimore Bulls
Zack Janik Baltimore Bulls
Keith Katzangerger Baltimore Bulls
Darryl McCoy River Hill High School
Steve Erxleben South River High School
Ben Eaton Dunbar High School
Lawrence Smith Dunbar High School
Travis Blackston Dunbar High School
Nate Brown Dunbar High School
Scott Murphy Dunbar High School
Skip Harrison Dunbar High School
Maurice Tyler Baltimore Bulls
Marc Watson Baltimore Bulls
Anthony Bredwood Dunbar High School
Sean Scheeler Dunbar High School

While McAlister's clinic was taking place, tight end Daniel Wilcox was doing his part for the community. Like his teammate, Wilcox had a good time doing it.

In the Baltimore vs. DC Celebrity Paintball Tournament, hosted by his Empowerment M.I.N.D.S. (Motivating and Inspiring Neighborhoods Determined to Succeed) Foundation, Wilcox was joined by fellow Ravens and rival Washington Redskins to test their mettle with paint pellets.

Each team featured at least one player in an all-out battle to win the championship trophy. Wilcox was joined by safety Ed Reed, cornerback Evan Oglesby and wideout Mark Clayton, among others, while the Redskins were represented by defensive back Leigh Torrence and running backs Ladell Betts and Rock Cartwright.

"It was one of those days when we were really trying to compete, but it was so much fun," Wilcox said, remembering the sound of paintballs whizzing by as he crouched behind inflatable barriers on the Taneytown, Md. course. "I'm always going to try to win, and so was everyone else. It got intense out there, but we were just having a good time."

Wilcox said he would like to make the tournament an annual event, and considering the $6,000 it raised for his foundation and two summer enrichment programs for young men - the Paul Robeson Academic International School of Excellence (PRAISE) Academy in Baltimore, and the Summer Bridge Leadership and Academic Immersion Institute in Washington, D.C. - he certainly has a good reason.

It may have been one of the few weekends off during the seemingly shorter and shorter NFL offseason, but some Ravens never stop working to improve their game and the community.