Reed Blankenship’s unconventional journey to become a starting safety in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles started as a West Limestone Wildcat — and on Saturday, June 15, he returned to his old stomping grounds for his inaugural youth football camp.
“I’ve always wanted to do something like this,” Blankenship told The News Courier during his camp at West Limestone High School. “Just to be able to come back to this small town and give back means a lot.”
The camp was for kids ages 7-13 and was open to the first 100 campers who registered. The cost for the camp was only $5, with all proceeds going to the West Limestone High School football program.
Within days of the camp being announced it was quickly sold out, resulting in a hundred young and eager campers bearing the summer heat for a chance to hone their skills on the gridiron with a local legend.
“Just seeing all these kids here today reminds me of how I was,” Blankenship said. “I played on this field, and I always wanted somebody to do this for me when I was a kid.”
Not only did Blankenship put himself in the shoes of his campers, but he has also set himself up as an exemplary role model for them — displaying what is possible with hard work.
Blankenship was a dual-sport letterman in high school, excelling in both football and basketball before choosing to further pursue his football career at Middle Tennessee State University.
As a perennial starter for the Blue Raiders in his five years with the program, Blankenship became MTSU’s all-time leading tackler. Despite his accolades and awards, Blankenship would go undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft.
This did not break his lifelong dream of one day playing in the NFL, and he worked to earn a spot as an undrafted free agent to the Eagles. Less than a year after making the team, Blankenship would play in Super Bowl LVII.
Blankenship credited the love and culture of where he was raised in his small hometown of Anderson for helping push him to get to where he is in life.
“That small town love, and that small town bond, can never be taken out of me,” Blankenship said. “It’s the little things that will never be forgotten. It seems like a lot of people here helped raise me, and it just shows the support system has never changed.”
Despite his name being spread across the camp with hundreds of shirts and signs, Reed expressed that he is still the same boy who grew up just down the road who baled hay throughout high school.
“I just want everyone here to know that they can come up and talk to me,” Blankenship said. “I ain’t changed. I’m still just a regular guy who grew up in Anderson and went here to West Limestone.”
Even though he may not think he is that big of a deal, Wildcats head football coach Shelby Davis talked to The News Courier about how much it meant to have Blankenship host this year’s youth football camp.
“Reed is a staple in our community and we are just excited that he has accomplished what he has accomplished,” Davis said. “For him to be willing to come back and pour back into the community is just awesome. He is probably the closest thing we have to a celebrity around here, so all these kids and even some of these parents, are super excited he is here.”
That excitement showed throughout the camp in the various drills and practices. As it came to a close Blankenship made the effort to give out autographs and take pictures with seemingly everyone in attendance.
Blankenship, once again, showing that small town love that he will carry back to the City of Brotherly Love for the Eagles mandatory training camp next month.