Michael Wilhoite teaches hundreds of kids at first camp

When Michael Wilhoite announced he was holding a youth football camp at Yager Stadium, he didn't predict a large turnout.

The first session, for ages 7-13, brought about 190 kids. Wilhoite only brought 120 shirts to give away to camp-goers. (For those that didn't receive a shirt, Wilhoite wrote down their address to send one in the future.)

That kind of turnout, in his friends' minds, is a testament to who he is as a player and a person.

"Nobody knew who anybody was," San Francisco 49ers teammate Tony Jerod-Eddie said. "As soon as Mike got out of the car, they were like 'there he is, there he is, it's Michael Wilhoite.'"

Wilhoite played at Washburn from 2005-2010, and he says giving the kids an opportunity, at $5 per kid, to learn from NFL players is something he takes pride in.

"I come from a position where I couldn't have went to a camp if it was any more than five dollars," Wilhoite said. "I would have died to have been at a camp like this. If it would have been any more than five dollars, you're basically turning kids away, and that would break my heart."

Wilhoite is entering his fifth NFL season with the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers open the season against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football on Sept. 12.