Entering his junior year with the University of Minnesota football program, Naples High graduate Kerry Brown has already developed a solid resume.
A former 3-star recruit, Brown was a Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award semifinalist in 2024 and an All-Big Ten honorable mention after starting in all 13 games in 2025. Athlon Sports named Brown to its 2026 preseason All-Big Ten Fourth Team. He added a new bullet point to his growing list of titles on Saturday, June 27: Youth football camp coach.
Brown hosted his inaugural youth football camp at Naples High’s Staver Field with more than 150 campers signed up to train with Brown.
“It’s a total blessing to be back home,” Brown said. “Being able to serve and give back to my community, have these kids out here today, come to my high school, and just have fun.”
The 2022 Broxson Trophy winner, which the Naples Daily News has awarded to Collier County’s best all-around football player each season since 2000, said he’s thought about one day hosting his own camp since his time as a student athlete at Naples High.
“I’ve always had the idea of one day being able to have my own camp for the kids, and being able to represent,” Brown said. “We do a whole bunch of camps out in Minnesota, but doing a camp on my own helps me become a great leader.”
The camp was staffed by Brown, his Minnesota teammates, coaches from the Naples Gators youth football program and a handful of his nine siblings, including his older brother Derrick.
“We were talking one night, and I said, ‘We should do a football camp,’” said Derrick Brown, who also coaches with the Naples Gators. “It makes me feel great. That shows the type of person he is, what type of character he holds … Training camp is about to start for them in a couple of days, and he’s out here putting in work, so that’s a big blessing right there.”
It could be a pivotal 2026 season for Kerry Brown, who became NFL Draft eligible after the 2025 season and has two seasons of college eligibility remaining. He started at safety as a sophomore and made 56 total tackles with two interceptions.
“My biggest goal this season is to become a leader each and every day, being more vocal with the guys and just being the standard for my team,” Brown said.
Also staffing Brown’s camp was fellow Naples High graduate and Dallas Cowboys rookie Devin Moore. The 2026 fourth-round pick said he’s talked with Brown about the importance of his upcoming season with the Golden Gophers.
“I just gave him some little pointers and tips to make the transition as smooth as possible,” Moore said. “It’s that year, it’s that time. I know he’s gonna go out there and go get it.”
Whatever the future holds for Brown, he doesn’t want this year’s camp to be his last.
“First annual camp’s been going great, so more to come,” Brown said. “Being able to give back to the community that helped me so much, giving back to the kids … I always want to be able to give back to them.”
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Minnesota safety, Naples grad Kerry Brown hosts football camp at alma mater
Reporting by Jackson Castellano, Special to the Daily News & The News-Press / Naples Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jackson Castellano, Special to the Daily News & The News-Press | USA TODAY Network
