SALEM — T-shirts, touchdowns, pizza, and some inspirational “Rocky” music were just a few parts of Sunday morning’s festivities at Captain John Bertram Athletic Field.
Sean Stellato, a Marblehead resident and NFL agent who set quarterback records for the Salem Witches, held his 17th Annual All-American Fundamental Showcase football camp.
But as players and coaches were huddled together for one final moment at midfield, Stellato left attendees with one final message.
“One, two, three – hard work,” he said.
You could say that was the message all along.
“They competed, learned, and developed,” Stellato said after the camp, while players enjoyed desserts and posed for pictures. “Hopefully, they’re going to take what they learned today and apply consistency and discipline. Who knows what they can do?”
The camp honored James Galante, a 2021 Super Bowl champion with Marblehead High who lost his life in a single-car crash in 2022, as well as Bryan Braman, former Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles linebacker who died Thursday from a rare, aggressive form of cancer.
“The only way to preserve legacies is to talk about them, write about them, and pray – and I think we did that,” Stellato said.
For three-plus hours, players were hard at work through running and football drills.
Lynn Tech’s Eddie Lewis received the Bryan Braman Award.
“He had some unbelievable grabs and was fearless,” Stellato said.
Also in attendance were prep school coaches, ex-New England Patriots Jonas Gray and Obi Melifonwu, new Lynn Classical football coach Brian Smith, as well as former St. Mary’s football coach and current Lynn Tech associate Mike Stellato.
Sean Stellato still recalls his Salem High years, when he sprinted across Bertram Field during hot, summer days.
“I could run it anywhere in the whole country, but I chose my hometown because I spent a lot of time here as a kid in the heat of the summer,” he said. “Every year, I think it’s gotten better, but the intensity today was great. I’m proud of the kids and they competed – very grateful. There are a lot of camps out there, but I try to be a little different.”
