STARKVILLE — Willie Gay Jr. has accomplished more in football than just about anyone who has ever come out of Starkville.
So after four seasons in the NFL and back-to-back Super Bowl rings with the Kansas City Chiefs, Gay spent his Saturday at his high school alma mater, leading children from all over the Golden Triangle in the first-ever Willie Gay Jr. “Juiceman” Youth Football Camp.
“Knowing that I was once one of those kids and seeing older guys before me coming from all around this area, they made it and they gave back to us,” Gay said. “I wanted to make sure I did the same thing when I got to the position I’m in now. That’s the beauty of it.”
A two-way star in high school at linebacker and running back, Gay helped lead Starkville to the MHSAA Class 6A state championship as a junior in 2015. He remained in his hometown for college, becoming exclusively a defensive player, and was a huge piece of Mississippi State’s outstanding defense as a sophomore in 2018.
The Bulldogs led the nation in scoring defense and were third in total defense that year, and Gay racked up 48 tackles, five sacks, two interceptions and a fumble recovery. Despite missing most of his junior season due to a team-issued suspension, Gay returned an interception 52 yards for a touchdown less than two minutes into his season debut against Kentucky.
Yellow Jackets head coach Chris Jones arrived in Starkville just two months after Gay played his final high school game, but Gay still lives in Starkville in the offseason and visits his old stomping grounds at least once each year.
“He’s just a normal guy (when he comes back),” Jones said. “Most of the kids know him. It’s not a bunch of fanfare with our kids trying to get autographs. They’re happy to see him when he comes. This (camp) is great because they’re able to touch a star. Some people can’t say that. With Starkville having this great tradition in football and having guys go to the NFL, it’s important to see him come back so the kids can see that if they made it, I can make it.”
A second-round pick of the Chiefs in the 2020 NFL Draft, Gay started 47 games over his four years with Kansas City before signing a one-year contract with the New Orleans Saints in March.
He had a career year in 2022 in just 13 games with 88 total tackles, including nine for a loss, to go along with 2.5 sacks, eight pass breakups and an interception that he returned for a touchdown against the Denver Broncos.
“It’s all about where you’re going, not where you are,” Gay said. “It’s about where you’re headed. The main thing, like I told the kids, is to keep doing what they’re doing, keep getting better each and every day.”
More than 200 children attended the camp, which was split into two sessions — ages 6 through 11 in the morning and ages 12 through 16 in the afternoon. Gay and several volunteer coaches led the kids in drills focused on speed, agility and football fundamentals, and all participants received a T-shirt and a poster.
One of the younger kids won an additional prize pack after defeating Gay in a 40-yard dash — although Gay did give his competitor a small head start and may not have been running at top speed.
“Once you want to get kids a camp, all you have to do is get them tired,” Gay said. “They love football, so just get them out here, throw a couple footballs around, make them do a couple drills, and everything else will take care of itself.”
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