Why Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph volunteered at C.J. Sadler’s youth football camp

Show Caption

• Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph volunteered at a youth football camp in Detroit.
• Joseph gave money to some of the campers who stuck with playing defensive back for the duration of the camp.
• Joseph plans to host his own youth football camp in Detroit next summer.

A small slice of Kerby Joseph’s record-breaking NFL contract extension landed in the hands of kids from Detroit.

The Detroit Lions safety, who signed a four-year, $86 million contract extension this offseason, participated as a coaching volunteer in the football camp run by Detroit Cass Tech receiver and defensive back C.J. Sadler at Peterson Park on Saturday, June 28.

Rocking a black sleeveless jacket and a sun hat with two built-in fans (bought off TikTok, he said), Joseph coached the defensive backs for kids aged 5-13, offering advice on how to stick with receivers and hyping up each one when they jammed a receiver at the line or knocked a pass away.

At the end of the camp, Joseph spoke about why he loves football, how he made it to the NFL and ended up as the league’ highest-paid safety ever, as motivation for the kids.

TOP RECRUIT: Cass Tech’s C.J. Sadler gives back with free football camp for Detroit kids

Channeling his inner Dan Campbell, Joseph told the campers they needed to love football to reach the NFL, along with being able to accept hard coaching and having the discipline to continue working hard in every moment. He offered some tough love, snapping at kids who weren’t listening to coaches attentively during huddles, and made sure they respected those who were trying to help them improve.

“I’m 24,” Joseph told the campers. “I made history. It’s possible.”

Joseph finished by asking the defensive backs who stuck with him throughout the camp to talk with him after. Joseph ended up gifting $100 to a handful of campers and their parents for playing DB the entire camp and “not switching up on him.”

“The money is just a bonus,” Joseph said. “I do it because I love it.”

Joseph came back to Detroit after hosting his own youth football camp, the Takeaway Camp, in his hometown of Orlando, Florida, last week. He added that he plans on hosting a youth football camp next summer in Detroit.

“It’s been going amazing so far,” Joseph said of his offseason. “I just had my first youth camp. That was amazing. That was the best highlight, the camp. I keep working out and have been training. Also, just been showing love back to the community and getting the kids right. Because the kids are the future.”

Joseph never attended a camp run by an NFL player or a top high school prospect like Sadler while he grew up in Florida. He wanted to “provide that beacon of hope” to kids and hopefully inspire them to follow their football dreams and eventually give back to their communities in a similar vein.

After the camp was over, Joseph hung around to take pictures and sign autographs for kids and parents.

“These kids right here, they just need structure, man,” Joseph said. “Kids nowadays, they need guidance. The football camps are a good thing because football teaches discipline for a lot of kids. A lot of kids have a hard time understanding what that means. I feel like football can help instill what that means.”

Joseph connected with Sadler through Sadler’s relationship with Lions receiver Jameson Williams. Sadler and Williams have become close in recent years, and the rising senior at Cass Tech trains with the NFL players in Detroit whenever their busy schedules sync — typically every two weeks.

“Me and Kerb, that’s my guy,” said Sadler, who is set to announce his college choice on Aug. 15. “I met Kerb through Jamo, training with those guys and getting that NFL working experience. I appreciate him a lot because he doesn’t have to be doing any of this. … You can’t say anything bad about Kerb in front of me.”

“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.”

Nominate a high school athlete for the Detroit Free Press boys and girls athlete of the week.

Jared Ramsey covers high school sports for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected]; Follow Jared on X or Bluesky.