While the vast majority of his teammates used their recently-completed bye week to get away from the game of football, Derek Dennis had the break circled on his calendar for a much different reason.

That’s because the six-foot-three, 341-lb. left tackle was eager to return to his native New York State to hold his annual Derek Dennis Youth Football Camp in Wappingers Falls last Sunday.

“I started it three years ago,” said Dennis, who was born in Queens before attending high school in the small Dutchess County town of Pawling. “The last two years, I’ve been doing it on my bye week since I’ve been up here. It’s been a good turnout and it’s been getting bigger every year.

“We had about 80 kids there (this year) and were just teaching kids football fundamentals and trying to build football in New York because New York is not really known to be a football state. I’m just trying to get more of the kids in my area involved in football and not just basketball or baseball.”

Free of charge and open to those between the ages of 5-18, the one-day camp provides participants with a full range of activities while striving to incorporate both hard work and a sense of joy for those taking part.

“This year, I had the gym that I work out at back home come out and do a little introductory (session) for the kids to teach them how to train as a football player and show them how professional athletes train during their off-season,” explained Dennis, a Temple University graduate and former practice squad member of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. “And I had a good friend of mine who runs a skills and drills camp down in Long Island, New York, come up to teach the kids some football drills.

“I ran the kids through some football drills that I learned in college to try to make it fun for them, but also instructional for them so that they learn the game. And then we closed out the day by playing flag football. That’s pretty much how it goes.”

Relying on the assistance of his mother to handle pre-event logistics while he is tied up with daily meetings, practices and film study as a member of the Stamps, Dennis can then become fully engaged once he returns home to conduct the camp.

“My mom is a big help in it,” remarked the second-year Stampeder, who first took the field for the Red and White in October of 2015. “She helps organize everything while I’m not around so I don’t have to focus on it too much. My job is to just kind of show up and keep everything running smoothly and just contribute.

“Most of the time, kids go to camps and a lot professional athletes, they just come last-minute to take pictures and sign autographs. I’m there early, I’m out there running around with the kids, sweating with them, going through the drills so that they have more fun. It has more of a personal feel to it.”

In keeping with his mother and sister’s background of cheerleading, Dennis also integrates a cheer component into his yearly camp in order for young girls to become involved, as well.

Future plans for the camp include expansion within New York as well as facilitating combine-like drills for those looking to take their game to the next level after completing high school.

As for where the concept originated from, Dennis chose to develop a program similar to that of a childhood friend and fellow professional athlete looking to pass on his knowledge to the next generation of local youth.

“Elton Brand, a well-known NBA player, he went to high school with me and I know him very well,” mentioned Dennis. “He’s a good friend of the family. He used to do a Elton Brand Day for basketball, so that’s kind of where I got the idea. I’m just doing it more from a football aspect and trying to give back to the community — have an athlete come from where they come from and interact with them and talk to them and instill values and lessons for them.”