ARLINGTON POLICE DEPARTMENT
DALLAS COWBOYS ’ TY NSEKHE HOSTS FOURTH ANNUAL YOUTH FOOTBALL CAMP
Saturday morning , 10-year-old Brayson Barnard desperately tried to catch a football thrown by Attauyo “ Ty ” Nsekhe , the new Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman .
No , Barnard , of Tolar , wasn ’ t still in bed , dreaming . The two were inside Bowie High School ’ s Multipurpose activity center , where Nsekhe was hosting a football camp . And another youth participant kept intercepting the pro athlete ’ s passes to Barnard .
That ’ s when his buddy Austin Roberts stepped in . Showing no fear , the 10-year-old Roberts – sporting his favorite player Odell Beckham Jr .’ s Cleveland Browns jersey – yelled out to the 6-foot-9-inch , 330-pound Nsekhe . Twice . He wanted him to throw another pass to Barnard since the other kids had left for another side of the indoor field . Nsekhe obliged . The youngster caught the 10-yard pass . The moment was priceless .
“ I was so excited ,” Barnard said , adding that he wants to one day play for the Cowboys , a team that his “ entire family ” loves .
The boys were among more than 100 participants – between ages 6-18 – who attended the five-hour long , noncontact football camp . For the fourth year in a row , Nsekhe teamed up with the Arlington Police Department to host the event at Bowie , his alma mater . Since his professional career began 12 years ago , Nsekhe ( pronounced en-SECKhe ) has been giving back to Arlington and surrounding communities . In 2017 , the Ty Nsekhe Foundation was established to empower and enhance the lives of youth through mentorship , scholarships and various programs .
Because of the pandemic , it was crucial that he held his camp this year . Nsekhe said kids need extra inspiration and an opportunity to socialize , all while trying to improve their football skills . Such was the case for Jacob Martin and Eian Jones – who play for Young Junior High School – and Brandon Heath , a member of Boles Junior High School ’ s team .
The close friends hung out and participated in a variety of combine drills , ranging from the 40-yard dash to positionspecific training for both offensive and defensive players . However , attending the event was even more personal for Heath , who plays various defensive positions at his school . The 12-year-old ’ s grandfather Forest Gill passed away last year .
“ I just want to make my skills better so I have a chance to make D-1 ( Division 1 school ) … So I know that I ’ ve done something right , just to make him proud ,” Heath said .
Like Heath , Nsekhe was once a preteen finding his way on the football field . Raised by a single mom in Arlington , he had a stellar career at Bowie before playing at Texas State University in San Marcos . Undrafted in 2009 , Nsekhe began his professional career in the now-defunct Arena Football League with the Corpus Christi Sharks . He also saw stints with other teams including the Dallas Vigilantes and San Antonio Talons until 2012 . That ’ s when the NFL came calling . Throughout his career , Nsekhe has suited up for the Indianapolis Colts , Los Angeles Rams , New Orleans Saints , Washington Redskins and Buffalo Bills . This past March , the Cowboys signed him to a one-year , $ 1.75