A notable group of former West Virginia University football greats has joined together to give back to the state where they all played their college football. Former WVU standouts Quincy Wilson and Grant Wiley are the driving forces behind the first-ever WV Legends Classic on July 12, a free youth football clinic for children ages 7-14 at Pro Performance Rx in Morgantown.
The memory of collegiate and NFL great Chris Henry inspired the group to give back in a way that would be impactful and long-lasting, Wilson said.
The day-long youth football clinic will begin at 8 a.m. at Pro Performance Rx, a 50,000-square-foot FieldTurf arena connected to a 28,000-square-foot strength and conditioning and fitness center located at Mylan Park. The clinic will include instruction from Wilson, Wiley and a number of other WVU football standouts, including Jarret Brown, Adam "Pacman" Jones, Rasheed Marshall, Pat McAfee, Owen Schmitt, Steve Slaton, Pat White and Reed Williams. The clinic is free, but is available on a registered, first-come basis with a limit of 150 children.
Registration for the youth clinic is available online. The instructional day will be followed by a celebrity basketball game at 6:30 p.m. A signed memorabilia auction will also be held, and the former WVU stars will also sign any personal items brought by those who attend. Proceeds from the event will benefit the family of Chris Henry, as well as local families suffering an untimely loss.
"What better way to give back to Mountaineer Nation than to provide a free youth football clinic," said Wilson, a former teammate of Henry with the Bengals. "The loss of Chris Henry inspired us to come up with a unique event to help our youth, and we're ecstatic to be able to give back like this."
He added, "This is the inaugural event and we have plans for future growth in years to come. What we'd like to see is a series of events across West Virginia, so that we can impact as many youths as possible."
Henry, who played professionally for the Cincinnati Bengals, passed away in 2009 after severe head trauma, which occurred after falling out of a pickup truck. A favorite in the WVU locker room, Henry was a standout wide receiver for the Mountaineers before foregoing his final year of eligibility for the NFL Draft.
Tickets for the celebrity basketball game will be available the day of the event for $10 each, and players will be available following the event for autographs. To register a youth for the football clinic or for more information, click here.
