Campbell High School in Smyrna, Georgia was the site of QB Flight School this past weekend.
It was held by Quincy Avery who runs the camp and has helped develop some of the best quarterbacks in the nation.
QB Flight School is a quarterback camp that includes top prospects from college and high school and gives players a chance to work out and develop alongside them. The camp offers offseason and private training to help quarterbacks progress and ultimately get to the NFL.
Top prospects at the camp Saturday were college quarterbacks Emory Jones (Florida), D’Eriq King (Miami), Jordan Yates (Georgia Tech), Anthony Brown (Oregon, transfer from Boston College) and others.
College football prospects were unable to participate last year, Avery was excited for the camp to return, even on a rainy Saturday afternoon.
“We’re just getting started but I’m excited,” Avery said. “Rain, snow, or whatever. We are quarterbacks. Our goal is to be the best quarterback in the world and to be that, water is going to be a part of the atmosphere.”
The pandemic affected the sports world in a big way. Without spaces to train and workout, questions regarding if there would be a football season and the severity of catching COVID made a lot of things questionable early on.
Avery decided to make his camp $499 which is usually $1,499. That is $1,000 off but Avery wanted to make sure the camp was affordable and more helpful this year.
“The pandemic affected me just like it affected everybody else,” Avery said. “I wasn’t able to work. There’s a lot of things we were unable to do. A lot of opportunities these young men missed out on due to the pandemic. I didn’t make it free but I [wanted] but I did do as much as I could [to make] it a good camp and bring out the top college quarterbacks in the country and make it a first-class event.”
The camp did not fail any of the quarterbacks and or fall short of the expectations of making and keeping it as a first-class event. Quarterbacks showed up prepared and ready to work.
Jones, a Georgia native who played high school football at Heard County, enjoyed the camp and is grateful for his improvement since working with Avery since eighth grade.
“I just committed to him and his plan,” Jones said. “I feel like he helped me get to where I am right now.”
When it comes to improvements, Jones is most proud of his mental improvement.
“I’ll say the biggest thing is mentally,” Jones said. “I’ve been in the film room a lot studying, going through all the plays, protections and getting comfortable with everything. But I’m continuing to work on my footwork, my balance in the pocket, posture and things like that.”
Yellow Jackets quarterback Yates attended the camp looking to not only get better but compete with the best. For him, he enjoys the competition.
“Being around a bunch of high-level guys pushes [myself] to see where [I’m] at,” Yates said. “Taking things from other people; everybody has their insights on how to do certain things. I’ve been working with Quincy for a long time and I always learn something new.”
Yates played high school football in Georgia at Milton while winning the Class 7-A state title. Since being in college, he is grateful for becoming a better player.
“It’s night and day,” Yates said. “I think anybody going from high school to college will say that you learn so much from being in the film room and meetings all day. [For me] it’s getting physically better and stronger [along] with arm strength.”
Brown, who will most likely be the starting quarterback at Oregon this upcoming season, was excited to be at the camp not only to work but workout and show kids what it takes to be an elite quarterback.
“Working out with the best quarterbacks who are my best friends and the best quarterback coaches in the country as well as working in front of kids who used to be me is very influential,” Brown said. “Just to be a model figure for these kids is huge.”
Not only were there college quarterbacks at the camp, but there were also high school prospects as well. One of them was Jadyn Davis who made the trip from Fort Mill, South Carolina.
Davis, who is currently an upcoming sophomore at Catawba Ridge, knew this camp would help him get better.
“It’s always a good experience coming down here to compete with the best,” Davis said. “I feel like Georgia has the best football and will always be the best.”
Davis, who is originally from Atlanta, has worked with Avery and Sean McEvoy since he was in middle school. As an up-and-coming talent, he wanted to make sure he got everything he could out of the camp.
“I pride myself on being smart on the board,” Davis said. “[Whether] it is learning a new drill or technique.”
