LYNN — NFLPA Certified Agent Sean Stellato enjoys bringing players and fans together. Young football fanatics who hope to follow in the footsteps of Stellato’s clients will have an opportunity to learn from the pros at his 12th Annual All-American Football Fundamentals Showcase July 21 at Manning Field.
“I have a soft spot for the city of Lynn because of all the history there,” Stellato, a Salem native who represents over a dozen NFL players, said. “There are a lot of great athletes that have come from Lynn. I hope the kids understand that they can do anything they want, they can achieve anything they want and they can play at any level. We want to make it a special day for them.”
The showcase is a non-padded fundamental and skills camp open to football players from ages 6-18. Players will be evaluated and coached by pro athletes on their fundamentals, while taking part in basic football drills such as the 40-yard dash, 20-yard shuttle, 3-cone drill, standing broad jump, one-on-ones, positional drills and more.
“At a young age we’re all taught how to catch a football, how to shoot the correct form on a jumper, how to kick the soccer ball, how to throw a curveball,” Stellato, who quarterbacked the Salem High football team to a Super Bowl appearance in 1994, said. “When you evaluate football players, it starts with how fast you can run the 40, how high you can jump, how you run routes if you’re a receiver. If you develop those good habits at a young age, it carries over.
“We’ll really develop their fundamentals,” Stellato said. “Hopefully they use that development in skills and fundamentals to be successful the following season.”
This year’s showcase is hosted by NFL Hall of Famer Andre Reed, New England Patriots safety Obi Melifonwu, Washington Redskins linebacker Marquis Flowers, Philadelphia Eagles special teamer Bryan Braman, former Patriots running backs Jonas Gray and Patrick Pass and St. John’s Prep alum/former Penn State running back Johnathan Thomas. Stellato said his clients have enjoyed interacting with football hopefuls who look up to them. On average, the showcase draws 125 participants each year.
“It’s uplifting,” Stellato said. “A lot of times there’s a negative stigma on athletes that they can be egoistic. These guys take their jobs very seriously and they know what it takes to be a pro. Part of being a pro is giving back, working with kids and sharing their stories. I took 5-feet-9, 190 pounds as far as I could go. I played Division I football at Marist and played pro football in the Arena League. I went to football camps and I never forgot those memories. I said ‘If I can build a one-day camp and share those same memories, why not?’
“We try to make it an uplifting day,” Stellato said. “We try to make it awesome for the kids. We have goodies for them and all sorts of things. We’ll try to help them develop a positive mindset in whatever they’re doing.”
Those looking to register for the showcase can do so by visiting Stellato’s website, seanstellato.com. The showcase offers a 50 percent discount for Lynn residents.
