Detroit Cass Tech’s C.J. Sadler delivers message at youth football camp
Detroit Cass Tech wide receiver/defensive back C.J. Sadler hosted a free youth football camp for Detroit kids on Saturday, June 28.
- Detroit Cass Tech’s C.J. Sadler hosted his second annual free youth football camp for Detroit kids.
- The camp, run by Cass Tech players and coaches, featured positional drills and a visit from Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph.
- Sadler’s flight back from the OT7 camp in Miami was delayed, causing him to miss most of the event.
- Despite the delay, the camp was a success, with over 100 kids participating and receiving instruction, gifts, and autographs.
Early in his high school career, Detroit Cass Tech wide receiver and defensive back C.J. Sadler noticed young kids from the city flocking to him after games asking for his jersey, gloves and autographs.
The interactions with the kids who looked up to him as a player motivated Sadler to explore other ways he could give back to kids growing up in the city, just as he had.
Sadler, a four-star athlete prospect in the class of 2026 (per 247 Sports’ composite rankings), approached his parents with the idea of starting a free youth football camp for kids from Detroit last summer. With the help of his family and community members, he started the “C.J. Sadler Football Camp” last year at Peterson Park at the corner of Curtis and Greenfield, where his football career began.
“I love the kids, I love doing stuff for the kids,” Sadler said Saturday. “That’s a passion for me. I saw what type of influence and everything I had in the city, so I said, ‘Why not do a youth camp?’ “
The first year of the camp was such a success, Sadler and his family decided to make it an annual event. The second iteration took place Saturday, June 28. The four-hour camp had approximately 115-130 kids from ages 5-13 participate in positional drills and one-on-one drills.
“The kids would be so excited and I felt like they would never really get to spend time with him,” said Charnita Sadler, Sadler’s mother. “So he wanted to do something for the community where they could come out, be with him and work up close and personal with him.”
“There was one time where a kid asked, how did C.J. get like that, was he born this talented?” said Sadler’s father, Corey Sadler Sr. “And we explained: It’s coming from hard work. He just felt the need to give back to the youth and show his people around him this is what it is all about.”
The camp was run by Cass Tech players, including quarterback Donald Tabron, running back De’Mari Hendrix and receiver Mylan Griggs, who each taught the fundamentals of their positions.
Chris Jackson, Sadler’s coach with the West Seven Rams in the Detroit PAL youth league, ran the camp and helped keep things organized. Even Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph, who trains with Sadler, made an appearance to coach the defensive backs and deliver a message on how to stay on the right track.
“C.J., that’s my dog,” Joseph said. “I’m so proud of him. He’s doing his thing, going off to college and stuff like that. So, it’s big to show support.”
The only person missing from the coaching staff for a majority of the camp was Sadler himself.
Sadler, the top-ranked recruit in Michigan for 2026, was in Miami earlier this week to participate in the OT7 Camp, a seven-on-seven grouping for top prospects from across the country. He had a flight scheduled to get back to Detroit on Saturday morning with hours to spare, but inclement weather nixed that plan.
After multiple delays — and eventually switching his airline — Sadler got back to Detroit, but missed most of his camp. He arrived toward the end, spoke about hard work and dedication and handed out gift cards to top performers. He took pictures with nearly every kid who attended, signed autographs and delivered one-on-one messages to anyone who asked for advice.
But, he said, he wished he could’ve been there to coach during the one-on-one drills.
“I was so mad that I got here late,” Sadler said. “I know it would have been 10 times more turnt if I were here, but I appreciate them. I’m still a little heated, though. I got here for a little bit, took pictures, but I wanted to see the one-on-ones.”
Still, the camp was a success for Sadler and the kids who attended. The campers attentively listened to the coaching during drills, lined up for pictures with Joseph, Sadler and the Cass Tech players and walked away with a T-shirt and gift bags. For 5-year-old Bhrane Hampton, one of the youngest participants, the camp got a review of “infinity stars”.
“I never played sports, so to have a child that talented and want to give back to the community … it was something I always wanted to do,” Corey Sadler Sr. said. “I’m always for giving back to the community. This is an exciting day to see him do this.”
The event was a full community effort. Sadler coordinated with his mom to set up the event, and had help from members of the West Seven Rams to pull it all together. Cass Tech’s team painted the field at Peterson Park for the drills. People donated money for hot dogs, which were cooked on an open grill throughout the camp. Optimal Water Detroit, a company on 8 Mile, set up a water station for campers, and the Lasoul Foundation, a Detroit-based nonprofit, provided chairs, tables, and a D.J. free of charge.
“I just appreciate everybody who helped contribute to this,” Sadler said. “My family, my parents, everyone who brought their kids. Just everybody that was involved, I appreciate them.”
Even though he is entering his final year of high school, Sadler hopes to keep the event running in Detroit as an annual affair. On top of being remembered for his exploits on the field, Sadler wants to give back to the generations following him in Detroit.
“A dude who cared for the city, loved his city,” Sadler said. “He put on for the city when he went out of town. That’s the type of legacy I want.”
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Jared Ramsey covers high school sports for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected]; Follow Jared on X or Bluesky.
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