Marlowe Brinson, left, and KC Adams will host the eighth Annual Myles Brinson and JR Adams Fundamental Football Camp, named in honor of the sons they lost. The camp will be held July 6-10.
GILROY -- Stirring his oatmeal, KC Adams thinks back about his childhood. He suspends his spoon just above the porridge, considering how blunt to be about what it was like for him as a kid in Oakland, and then answers in his standard direct fashion.
"For me, that's a painful time in my life. Foster homes, orphanages -- there was never a mentor there. Our mentors were a pimp or a drug dealer," Adams says.
Marlowe Brinson sits across from Adams at a table at Garlic City Cafe, and he too briefly struggles with where to start. Once he gets going, though, Brinson rarely leaves out many details.
Raised by just their mom, he and his brother lived on the cold streets of Chicago. Brinson recalls a Christmas at age 8, when his gift that year was a radio. The moment quickly became bittersweet when he turned the nob. The radio stayed silent. Batteries weren't in the budget.
"I think your past is good. You never want to forget your past," Brinson says. "That's one thing we drill on them. You can think about your past, but don't dwell on it."
The goal of both men, who were molded but not broken by their rough upbringings, is to continue advancing the lives of "them" -- kids. Hosting the eighth Annual Myles Brinson and JR Adams Fundamental Football Camp, named in honor of the sons Adams and Brinson lost, the week of July 6-10 will be a chance for both families and friends to remember the boys while trying to steer other kids clear of the pitfalls that swallow up so many.
"Our kids passed away and the camp is in their honor, but the camp was created way before that," Brinson says. "Our intention is to honor our children and make sure kids don't do the same things we did."
Footwork, technique and instilling teamwork will be points of emphasis at the camp, but, more importantly, there will also be lessons about how to be successful outside the lines. Focusing on faith, family and healthy living, the camp will feature motivational speakers each day. This year, Rashad Floyd, a former Arena Football League player, will be one of the special guests.
"I never went to a camp, never in my entire life," Brinson says as Adams nods his head.
"These kids can be anything they want to be in life if they have the right guidance."
Bringing kids from a wide range of backgrounds together, whether they be privileged or struggling, is the ultimate goal. There is a $60 fee for the camp, but both Adams and Brinson said they would be willing to work out deals with families unable to afford the cost. Denying entry to anyone, especially knowing they didn't have the funds to find their way to such camps, would be out of the question.
"A lot of parents don't know there's an outlet for them," Adams says.
Josh Koehn Josh Koehn is the sports editor of the Gilroy Dispatch.
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