Five NFL players who grew up in or around Pasadena will return to the Rose Bowl on Friday, June 26, to lead a free youth football camp at what the stadium calls “America’s Stadium,” according to a Rose Bowl Stadium press release issued June 9.
The 626 Elite Youth Football Camp, organized by the Rose Bowl Stadium and the Rose Bowl Institute, will run from 5 to 9 p.m. and is open to children ages 6 to 14. Registration is required. The press release said families can secure free tickets by scanning the QR code on promotional materials or visiting the camp’s Eventbrite page. The event is capped at 300 youth athletes, according to the Eventbrite listing.
The hosts are Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, Atlanta Falcons cornerback Darnay Holmes, Houston Texans safety Calen Bullock, and cornerbacks Myles Bryant and David Long Jr. The press release describes them as “Pasadena-area NFL players” from across the San Gabriel Valley. According to NFL, ESPN and team records, Young’s listed hometown is Pasadena; Holmes was born in Pasadena; Bullock attended John Muir High School in Pasadena; Bryant was born in Pasadena and attended Loyola High School in Los Angeles, as did Long, a Pasadena native.
According to the press release, campers will receive position-specific football instruction, skills and drills led by NFL players, character and leadership development, opportunities to interact with professional athletes, and “a positive and encouraging environment for youth of all skill levels.” The stated mission of the camp is to inspire, mentor, and develop the next generation of athletes through football instruction, leadership lessons, and community engagement.
“This camp is about giving back to the community that helped shape us,” Holmes said in the press release. “We want young people to see what is possible through hard work, discipline, education, and perseverance while having fun and learning the game of football at the iconic Rose Bowl Stadium.”
The Rose Bowl Institute, an initiative of the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, was founded in 2020 to provide educational programming for youth, according to the foundation.
Free parking will be available at the stadium, 1001 Rose Bowl Drive, according to the camp’s Eventbrite listing. Media inquiries can be directed to Meredith Thomas, the stadium’s senior director of communications, at 626-524-2533.
This is not the first NFL-led youth camp at the Rose Bowl. In April 2025, Young partnered with the Rose Bowl Institute and the Pasadena Tournament of Roses to host a youth football clinic at the stadium, with 270 children ages 6 to 14 participating, according to the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation.
