Nik Needham (right) and Jaylinn Hawkins provide advice for young players at Saturday’s camp. (PHOTOS: TIm Burt, OC Sports Zone).
Best friends Nik Needham and Jaylinn Hawkins were re-united again at their alma mater Buena Park High School for their fifth annual free youth football camp encouraging more than 200 enthusiastic youngsters on a sunny Saturday in Buena Park.
Two camps, which also featured a number of other NFL players, were held. The morning session was for youngsters three through eight and the second session was for those in grades nine through 12.
To see the slide show, click on the first photo:
“I think this is one of the better ones we’ve had,” said Needham, who played most recently with the New York Jets and is a free agent looking to land with another team.
“The kids were having fun pushing themselves and in the older camp too, they were reallly enjoying themselves too and there were a lot of girls out here today which was kind of cool to see and they were actually winning in some of the competition, so it was cool to see for sure. It was a good turnout.”
Besides the instructions and games, players received a free T-shirt, lunch and refreshments. Both players also signed autographs and there was an anti-drug talk at the conclusion of each camp.
Music was piped in over high school stadium speakers to fire up the players.
Motivation for staging the camp remains the same, said Needham, a cornerback who played college football at UTEP.
“Seeing how happy it makes the kids, and being involved in the community and giving back to Orange County because there wasn’t a lot of that growing up with us, we were just finding our own ways. Now that we can do it for the younger generation it feels good.”
Hawkins, a cornerback, also put his heart into making the camp successful.
“This is always a blessing to be able to come out here and give back to the kids and the community, that’s one of the biggest things and something we’re trying to do,” Hawkins said in an interview. “I’m happy to be able to, I just hope these kids can take something from this camp, whatever they learned and just run with it the rest of their life.”
Hawkins’ advice to the young players:
“Stay focused and keep going, no matter what anybody tells you, in life you’re always going to face obstacles. Just keep your head down and keep going.”
Hawkins said two factors helped him reach his goal of playing in the NFL.
“For one God and two the hard work and dedication, you have to make this a lifestyle and you got to put all the marbles in it and bet on yourself,” he said.
Also helping out Saturday at the camp were NFL players Juju Smith Schuster (New York Giants), Drake London (Atlanta Falcons), Tyler Allgeir (Arizona Cardinals), Kyle Williams (New England Patriots), Chris Lammons (Indianapolis Colts), Marcus Epps (Philadelphia Eagles), Quentin Lake (Los Angeles Rams) and Jeremy McNichols (Washington Commanders).
Also assisting at the camp was Shannon Needham, Nik Needham’s mother. Nik Needham told his mother at the age of 4 that he was going to play in the NFL when he grew up and he was able to fulfill his dreams. He’s also played with Miami and Cleveland.
“I’m so proud of both of them,” Shannon Needham said. “I’m filled with pride. I love that they give back to the community and I love seeing all the kids just having a great time. We’re really blessed to be out here.”
Nik Needham, 29, said there were keys that helped him reach the NFL.
“Having good family support and the right people around you helped me get there and always being the underdog and having a chip on my shoulder it kind of pushes me no matter what,” Needham said. “People telling you no and proving them wrong helps me a lot.”
And playing in the NFL is special, he said.
“It’s very cool and humbling and exciting {playing in the NFL} a feeling you will never get from anything else. When you make a play, you hear the crowd roar,” Needham said. “I wasn’t really used to that at UTEP. There weren’t big crowds so going to the NFL was a shocker for me. I was thinking I’m playing {against} Ben Roethlisberger and Tom Brady. It was cool.”
Needham is keeping positive about signing with another NFL team before the start of the 2026 season.
“This is my first time through {as a free agent},” he said. ” I’m just grinding, they say the older you get the longer you got to wait so I’m just waiting for the right opportunity whenever it may present itself. Until then, I’m staying healthy and staying ready.”
Hawkins, who played for Atlanta, the Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots before signing with the Ravens, will be reporting to camp at the end of July.
“I’m very excited,” he said. “We got a good group, a good team. I’m excited to see what we do. The expectations are always to win but we have to do that one game at a time, one day at a time.”
Hawkins, 28, also ackowledged the impact that former Buena Park Coach, the late Anthony White, who later went on to coach at Santa Ana College, had on him in high school. White died in November 2023 after battling an illness.
“I remember the legend, the man himself RIP Coach White,” he said. “Our family vs. their team was our mantra while he was here and when Coach White was here he always put emphasis on it. I thank him for putting this infrastructure in the program and connecting us and helping get all the pieces together, he was a great dude.”
—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com
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