Will Hernandez is a Las Vegas native and professional football player in Arizona, but there’s a part of him that will always be a UTEP minor from El Paso.
The former All-American guard who graduated from UTEP in 2017 and current Arizona Cardinal was in town Friday for the first of what he says will become a free annual football camp, the Mijo Things Football Camp, for children aged 8 to 13. 200 of them braved the overcast skies of Hanks High to participate.
They seemed excited, as did Hernandez, both to work with the campers and to be back in one of his hometowns.
“It was a really fun time for me,” said Hernandez, who will also be in town next week for the Aaron and Alvin Jones softball game. “I enjoyed spending time with all these kids who came even though the weather was a little iffy. These kids showed their heart and still came out. I love it every time I come here.
“I came here when I was 17. I still had a lot of growing up to do, a lot of things to experience, and a lot of new customs to get used to. I learned a lot while I was here since 5 years.
“I learned how to eat Chico’s Tacos properly, I learned the culture of El Paso, Texas. It’s its own little sauce, its own little swag and I feel like I’m there adapted. I appreciate it, it’s part of me.
He brought in former New York Giants teammates Chad Slade and Nick Gates and was also aided by several former UTEP offensive line teammates.
The camp ended up having good weather, as the rain held off and cloud cover kept temperatures into the mid-80s. It started at 9 a.m. and continued until noon , then campers lined up to have their photo taken with Hernandez.
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His message was not limited to football.
“What’s very important to me is knowing that I have a reason to work,” he said. “That’s what makes competition great, that’s what makes our country great. That’s the basis of it all, it’s competition. I want these kids to learn that hard work is not just made for hard work.
“There’s something valuable about it if you do it the right way. That’s something I want to instill in these kids: If you want something, you have to pursue it.”
As for the “Mijo” thing, “It’s a fraternity. Everyone has friends, but only a few guys have Mijos,” Hernández said. “It’s your tight-knit group, guys that you really bond with. That’s what a football team is at the end of the day. It’s a group of Mijos working for the same goal, with the same mentality, who want to win.”
Something else he took away from camp that will make Hernandez smile is Elijah Friesen, a 13-year-old senior at Hornedo Middle School.
“You always have to be there for your teammates, no matter what,” Friesen said. “They are your brothers and you always have to be there for them and they are there for you.
“It was a fun experience. I’ll definitely do it again.”
Sander Mendez, 10, has learned some soccer skills.
“I’m learning how to get into position and participate in drills,” he said. “I loved it. It was great meeting Will Hernandez.”
That was part of the problem.
“It’s important to be able to come and be a physical presence for these kids, to be here live and in person,” Hernandez said. “It has an effect on these kids. They see me on Instagram and all these websites, but it hits differently when they see me here in person and see me live.
“The reason we do these camps is not the money. It’s to teach these kids things that can change their lives. We want to make a difference. El Paso has a lot of energy, the tools. There’s a lot of potential if we can channel it the right way, on the right track, you’ll start to see El Paso football progress.”
Hernandez was doing his part Friday.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at [email protected]; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Arizona Cardinals’ Will Hernandez enjoys free football camp in El Paso
