Sean Williams/MDN Cordell Volson going through a drill with a camper at the Harvey/Wells County Central Dakota Football Camp on Friday at LC Loerch Field.

HARVEY – Cordell Volson’s impact spans far beyond the smalltown of Balfour with a population of 17 that he grew up in. After being drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals and showing the entire state of North Dakota that anything is possible if you are willing to put the work in, Volson made his way back home over the weekend to give back to the state that gave so much to him.

On Friday and today, Volson hosted a two-day youth football camp for grades 3-12 at LC Loerch Field in Harvey. The Harvey/Wells County Central Dakota Football Camp was put together by Volson and Bret Dockter of Harvey/Wells-County football in an effort to give the community an experience that’s hard to find elsewhere.

“It’s always great to be back in North Dakota. There is great support here and a ton of great people that support me and what I do. It’s always great to give back to kids, especially in the state of North Dakota and to show them that it doesn’t matter where they come from, if they stay persistent and work hard anything is possible,” Volson said.

Dockter has been involved with Harvey and the football camp for the last 15 years and saw a great opportunity to get Volson on board and make the experience even better for the kids. “It was awesome to have Bret reach out to me, it shows the support he has in me as well. The kids have loved the camp, I’m really happy to be able to do this event.”

In addition to a variety of high school coaches, Volson helped bring college and professional athletes to the camp, with some being local. His brother Tanner Volson (former NDSU Bison, San Diego Charger, and New York Giant), Spencer Waege (current San Francisco 49er), Cam Miller (current NDSU starting quarterback) and Jake Kubas (Dickinson Trinity alum, current NDSU starting offensive lineman) were those, among many, that came to Harvey to help coach the camp.

“A lot of these guys are really close friends of mine. I wanted to get a lot of local guys who went on to play college football to show that there’s an opportunity for everyone out there no matter where you are from,” said Volson on the coaching staff he helped put together for the camp.

With a rich representation of football experience at all levels, the coaching staff in Harvey provided the kids with an incredible opportunity, and one they will remember for a long time. It gave the campers a chance to be coached by people who have achieved a lot on the field and in life and were once sitting in the same spot as them.

“The goal was to get the kids around guys who have played in college and a big thing that I wanted to do is have guys who are from the area be here to show the kids that it doesn’t matter where you start. All that matters is where you finish,” Volson said.

He added, “There are guys from really small towns, a lot of 9-man players here, that have gone on to play college football at a high level. I wanted to show the kids that there are opportunities, as well as give them advice and insight. There aren’t many camps that offer that type of thing and that was our big mission for our camp here.”

Not only are the kids learning valuable lessons, but they are also having a blast in the process. With the total number of campers far exceeding the population of the town Volson grew up in, he and the others are making an impact on the lives of those who made their way to LC Loerch Field, shown by all the smiles radiating throughout Harvey.

“Seeing the kids when they get out here has been great. There was a kid who is a Giants fan and when I told him my brother played for the Giants, his eyes lit up. Just seeing the pure joy on these kids’ faces has been awesome and being able to give back to a community and a state that has done so much for me has been really rewarding,” Volson said.

With the type of character he has, his drive to help those around him and his desire to give back to the community, Volson has built a successful life for himself. After the local football camp is over, he will spend a little bit of time at home before heading to train for the upcoming season as he looks to continue building a successful NFL career.