This week TWSN had the opportunity to talk to Mohamed Sanu at his annual ProCamps Youth Football Camp at South Brunswick High School in New Jersey. The free afternoon camp for boys and girls grades 1-8 attracted hundreds of young athletes, as local coaches and players helped lead campers in a variety of drills and demonstrations.

The 29-year-old Sanu was born in nearby Sayreville before his family moved to Sierra Leone when he was a child. They then settled in Dayton, where Mohamed starred for the South Brunswick Vikings as a triple-option quarterback and track and field athlete before being recruited to Rutgers University, where he shattered many wide receiving records. He is the all-time leader in receptions for the Scarlet Knights (he also owns the single-season and single-game records). He is 5th all-time in receiving yards, and sports the 3rd highest single season total with 1,206 receiving yards during the 2011 season.

Sanu told TWSN, “The youth is the future. If I’m not out here inspiring them, telling them you can be what you wanna be, do what you wanna do as long as you put your mind to it- who will? I walked through the same halls, grew up in the same communities, walked the same streets as them.” He added that in this day in age, millennials don’t get outside as much as previous generation’s kids did. “I just want to let them know to direct themself into something positive,” Sanu added.

When asked about what he is looking forward to most in the upcoming NFL season, the Atlanta wideout (who is coming off a career-high 838 receiving yard season) exclaimed, “Playing! I’ve missed it. All the practices and training are cool, but the games are what you’re built for.”

Campers got to walk home with a team photo, a limited edition ProCamps t-shirt, and an autograph from the Atlanta Falcons’ wideout.

You can catch our full interview with Mohamed Sanu on our Instagram page under IGTV. We would like to thank Mohamed, his media team, and the wonderful ProCamps network for the opportunity to attend the event.