Derrick Davis | The Valdosta Daily TimesNew England Patriots cornerback, and former Lowndes High and Valdosta State standout, Kenny Moore watches over a drill at Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith's second annual Game Changers Youth Day on Saturday at Martin Stadium

VALDOSTA — Telvin Smith has fond memories of growing up in Valdosta.

It’s those memories that motivate the Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker, and former Lowndes High standout, to return to his hometown and give back to the community with his Game Changer Youth Day.

Smith hosted the second annual iteration of the Game Changer camp at Lowndes High on Saturday.

“It’s great, not just for me, but for the community, for the kids that are out here,” Smith said, back on the field at Martin Stadium. “For them to see how many of their peers, who they go to school with, who they see every day, and then for somebody like me and Josh (Harvey-Clemons), who they’ve seen come through here and played and come back to do things like this, this is what it’s about, just giving back.”

Smith didn’t come back to Valdosta alone. He assembled a group of former Lowndes Vikings and Valdosta Wildcats to assist him in his efforts to provide the local youth with role models they didn’t necessarily have.

Washington Redskins safety Harvey-Clemons, New England Patriots corner Kenny Moore, and Oakland Raiders corner Kenneth Durden formed with Smith to make up the Viking alumni, and the Wildcats were represented by former University of Georgia tight end, and current NFL free agent, Jay Rome.

When that group was growing up in Valdosta, Lowndes legend Randall Godfrey was the only NFL player coming back to the community as he held his own football camp in town.

Now, the players who were able to experience meeting one of their heroes in their youths are able to pass that same moment on to the next generation.

“There’s not so many people from Valdosta and this area that make it to the league, so it’s good to give back,” Durden said. “There was only one guy that I had come to when I was little, and that was Randall Godfrey.

“So it’s good to have Telvin’s camp with the kids and to come help out.”

Godfrey was in attendance at the inaugural Game Changer Youth Day a year ago, as well as a score of Smith’s former teammates at Florida State, but with the camp in the midst of the Fourth of July weekend, it was the Valdosta natives that showed up to inspire the town’s youth.

“I started here,” Smith said. “Many wouldn’t even believe it, but look where I am now. That’s what I try and preach to them.”

Upwards of 400 children between the ages of 6-16 were on hand Saturday, up from the 300 players in attendance a year ago, to run through individual and team drills before playing in a series of flag football games.

Jacksonville Jaguar cheerleaders also led a cheer camp in the Lowndes High cafeteria. The Game Changers Cheer Team performed its routine after lunch.

Smith made national headlines in April when he spoke out against NFL players who charge a fee to attend their youth football camps. In a short video on Smith’s Instagram account, he says players who are charging for camps have lost the “humble gratitude” that got them to where they are.

Saturday, at the second Game Changer Youth Day that he’s held absolutely free of charge to the public, Smith didn’t back down from those comments.

“I just spoke my opinion on how I felt about it, in a sense, not saying that it’s going to change anything, but voicing and letting people know I’ve got a problem with it,” Smith said. “There’s no reason for it. At the end of the day, to each his own.”

Smith, and all of the players and coaches that took time from their holiday weekend to help him, simply love their community.

“I’m going to tell you, not only for me, but for a lot of guys that stood up behind me with it, you see there’s guys out here with pure heart,” Smith said. “They’re doing this for the right reason. It’s not for themselves, it’s not for money, it’s not for fame or anything like that.

“They just really love where they come from, and that’s my biggest thing, I just love where I come from. I love the city of Valdosta. I love Georgia, being a Georgia boy, south Georgia. Everything about it I embrace it.”

Derrick Davis is the sports editor at the Valdosta Daily Times.