Despite the expected heat and humidity associated with the end of June, former Nicholls State University football standout and Super Bowl champion, the Baltimore Ravens defensive back Lardarius Webb will be hosting a free children’s football camp here on campus on June 22.
The Lardarius Webb Foundation is sponsoring their fourth annual camp here at Nicholls and welcomes the youth of the community to attend. According the foundations website, their goal is to, “raise and distribute funds to provide aid to underprivileged children and their families. The primary purpose of this foundation is to keep young men and women off the streets and out of trouble, by giving them the knowledge, confidence, and support to achieve any positive goals they set.”
During his tenure as a Colonel, Webb was named AP 1st Team All-American. He also distinguished himself as the only player in NCAA history to be named Defensive Player of the Week, Offensive Player of the Week, and Special Teams Player of the Week in the same season.
Nicholls Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator Jeremy Atwell, who coached Webb for two seasons, believes Webb’s success speaks volumes of the University and our football program.
“I think it attests to how Coach Stubbs recruits here and that is how sometimes people get caught up in the glitz and glamour of a being in Baton Rouge or Tuscaloosa,” Atwell said.  “If you want to go to the NFL, you do not have to play at one of those places. It shows that no matter where you are at, if you go and put in the work, effort, and do what you are asked to do both on and off the field, the NFL scouts are going to find you. Ultimately, I think it shows that this university provides opportunity, not only athletically but academically. If you have dreams and aspirations, you can achieve them at Nicholls State.”
Through spending time with Webb as a coach and a friend, Atwell has seen Webb’s work ethic and love of competition. These two things are what Atwell believes to have helped Webb not only get to National Football League, but excel. Atwell says that Webb is unlike any player he has ever coached, except for a select few of others who have made the transition from Nicholls to the NFL.
“He is one of a kind,” Atwell said. “One thing that I will say is that he is an extreme competitor. He might have a bad day and not feel well, but you put him into competition scenario and he will compete like no one else I have ever seen. I think that is what pushes him over the top because when you look at the elite of elite, you do not look at talent; you look at that part of a player. That is what makes Lardarius different and it is why he has excelled in the NFL.
Webb’s pride in his alma mater and love for the game of football has once again led him back to Thibodaux to give back. Last year, he was joined by a cast of six or seven NFL players whom were eager to spread their knowledge of the game.
The camp begins at 9:30 a.m. and lasts until 3:30 p.m., however only 300 children can attend the free camp. To register, visit www.lardariuswebb21.com.