As soon as he was drafted into the NFL in 2021, Benjamin St-Juste spoke of the wish to give back to the community. A little over a year later, his goal has materialized. For young people and the passion for football.
Posted at 2:24 p.m.
More than 480 young players from the greater Montreal area responded to the call from the Washington Commanders defensive back.
Everyone gathered at the Curé-Antoine-Labelle high school football field in Laval to take part in the first edition of the “Return to the Origins” camp.
The young people and their parents arrived very early on Saturday morning to throw the ball around and make the most of this unique experience of rubbing shoulders with St-Juste and the other NFL, CFL and NCAA players present for the ‘opportunity.
Before the activities officially began, St-Juste gathered all the children in the center of the field, under a blazing sun, to explain to them the course of the day and to make the official presentations. He asked the group to work hard and take the opportunity to ask questions. Before kicking off, the athlete from Rosemère, in the Laurentians, insisted that everyone take part in the team shout. A cry made up of two words: “Have fun”.
“If I didn’t have fun, I wouldn’t play in the NFL. If you play first for a reason other than fun, it’s impossible to get that far. When you have fun, you learn more and you compete better,” explained St-Juste during lunch hour.
Back to basics
Before stepping onto NFL grounds, St-Juste played for the Curé-Antoine-Labelle Wolves. He has proven himself in the same field as the apprentices who took part in the camp. So it was a real homecoming.
The objective of this day was obviously to show young people the right techniques, give them access to state-of-the-art equipment and compare their skills. However, for St-Juste, providing resources to the next generation of Quebec football is not necessarily the priority. “We have to believe in our young people. »
Growing up, he never hid his dream of playing in the NFL. Except that at the time, the adults told him that it was impossible and even asked him why he didn’t play hockey instead. Models were non-existent. That’s why it was important for him today to show everyone that dreams can sometimes come true.
The 24-year-old athlete and the other professional players present at the event are living proof of this. Among the guest players was Kwity Paye, defensive end for the Indianapolis Colts, the team’s 2021 first-round pick and St-Juste’s former teammate with the University of Michigan Wolverines.
At their age, I dreamed too. Maybe I didn’t know it was going to be so difficult as it was, but you have to dream and above all have fun.
Kwity Pays
He did it for young people, of course, but also for his former teammate. He understands his mission to help young people, especially in a market where it is difficult to penetrate.
“He’s a golden teammate. He is always there for others. He’s also a great human being. He does not hesitate to return to where he comes from. He thinks a lot more about others than himself,” Paye said of St-Juste.
Moreover, the Commanders player was extremely grateful for the help provided by his former teammates: “They have the same objective as me to give back to the community and to give back to young people, because they understood where they came from. come and how difficult their journey has been. They also know that having role models can change the lives of young people. »
This is also what Wilbert St-Juste thinks. The father was also present, but especially amazed to see the response of people and the involvement of his son.
Dressed in a Commanders overcoat, he was a reminder of how beneficial this kind of camp can be. “Since Benjamin was young, we keep telling him that he has to give back, because he didn’t have that. So by giving back to the 480 young people who are there today, we hope that one day they will give back in turn. »
The St-Juste clan preferred not to address certain subjects surrounding the most recent events within the Washington organization, preferring to keep the light on the young people and the event, because today, they were the priority.