When thinking of football hotbeds, most people envision the West Texas Plains, sunny Southern California, or the year-round warmth of Florida. Needless to say, the tropical, laid back setting of the Bahamas doesn’t quickly come to mind. However, Kansas City Chiefs WR Devard Darling is looking to change that. This summer, Darling will continue to run the Devard and Devaughn Darling Football Camps. They will take place in Freeport, Bahamas from July 6-7, and Nassau, Bahamas from July 10–12. However, Darling won’t be alone in instructing these aspiring gridironers. Instead, he will be flanked by many NFL players including Chiefs teammates such as WR Dwayne Bowe, WR Bobby Engram, and RB Larry Johnson.

Darling, a native of Nassau, is passionate about creating opportunities for other Bahamian athletes to pursue their dreams of playing American Football, using it as a vehicle to obtain an education. The Devard and Devaughn Darling Football Camps provide an opportunity for elite youth athletes in The Bahamas to further their athletic skills through first-class instruction. This is accented by the exposure they receive of playing under the watchful eye of several professional football players. Devard hopes to help other athletes from his native country reap the same benefits from football that he has.

Additionally, Devard utilizes the As One Foundation, which he founded in 2007 in memory of his late identical twin brother Devaughn, to help others in his native country. “As One” is an acronym for Athletes, Spirituality, Opportunity, Need, Education. The mission of the foundation is to provide underprivileged youth both nationally and internationally with educational and developmental opportunities through athletic endeavors, educational programming and spiritual enrichment.

Of course, the As One Foundation isn’t just reaching youth in the Bahamas. Just last fall, Darling and his family personally distributed some 200 Thanksgiving baskets to families from Operation Breakthrough. In all, the As One Foundation donated $8,000 to ensure these Kansas City families had a proper holiday. More information on this extraordinary foundation can be found at www.asonefoundation.org.

Through outreach in his adopted hometown and his native country, this former Washington State standout is truly making the world a better place. By providing opportunities athletically, academically, and spiritually, he is changing the Bahamas for the better. Maybe one day instead of thinking of The Bahamas as a must stop on a Caribbean vacation, it can become the football mecca that Darling is working so hard to create.

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