‘They could do what I did.’ Boise State players give back at Optimist kids skills camp

Long before they made a name for themselves in the Boise State football program, players like Tyler Crowe and Austin Bolt were running wild on the fields at the Optimist Youth Sports Complex in Boise.

On Saturday, they were back on those same grass fields instructing the next generation of stars.

“I just remember being in their shoes, always looking up to Boise State players, wanting to play on the blue field and playing in the Optimist days,” Crowe said.

“I just wanted to come out and be a role model to these kids and show them they could do what I did.”

Crowe joined Boise State as a walk-on linebacker out of Skyview High School in Nampa in 2019 and later transitioned to running back. He was awarded a scholarship in 2021. He will be a sixth-year senior for the Broncos this fall. Bolt is a Borah High graduate and another former Optimist participant.

They were among a group of Broncos — including running back Ashton Jeanty, quarterback Maddux Madsen and defensive end Ahmed Hassanein — who served as instructors for the OYF Kids Skills Camp held in conjunction with the organization’s 75th anniversary celebration this weekend.

“I think it’s most important that they learn that the guys we think are stars are just people, and Jeanty is a classic example of that,” Optimist Youth Football President Jerron Moore said.

“These kids get to interact with him and say, ‘He talked to me.’ Here’s a guy they’re talking about for a Heisman, and he’s talking to me. That’s a great opener to understand how you should be as an adult.”

Optimist Youth Football , a nonprofit organization, started in Boise’s North End in 1949 at Washington Park. Over the years, many Gem State football standouts have played in the Optimist ranks.

Former Denver Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer, a Capital High grad, former Boise State coach Bryan Harsin, another Capital graduate, and current Idaho State coach and Bishop Kelly product Cody Hawkins are among the program’s alumni.

Harsin joined the Optimist ranks at 9 years old, playing on the offensive line back then and wearing jersey No. 99. Of course, he went on to play quarterback at Boise State. His son, Davis, will be a freshman quarterback on Idaho State’s football team this fall and also played Optimist.

“That was my first impression of football, my first experience playing it, and 39 years later, I’m still involved in football and my son’s still involved in football,” Harsin said. “I would say my first experience with football through Optimist is what’s kept me in it my entire life, really. It’s made a huge impact on me.”

Hundreds of boys and girls ages 8 to 13 braved the 100-plus degree heat and smoky skies Saturday to learn from some of Boise State’s best. And Hawkins and his coaching staff held a free coaches clinic earlier in the day for more than 100 of OYF’s volunteer coaches, many of whom are parents.

“It’s insane how busy these coaches are, and they took the time to do it,” Harsin said. “That just goes to show the kind of coach that Cody is. He’s willing to take that time away all the way from Pocatello to come here. Believe me, as coaches, they could fill 367 days a year if they wanted to.”

And that’s what makes the Optimist program so special.

“I think that’s the beauty of sports,” Harsin said. “... They get to pass down all the things they’ve learned to these young kids, and somebody in that group, they’re going to be the next ones, and the cycle will continue. To have those (Boise State) players come out there and be a part of it and share with the current young kids, that’s pretty cool.”

Participants at Saturday’s camp rotated through stations instructed by Boise State players. For example, Hassanein taught tackling drills, and Madsen walked kids through the quarterback three-step drop.

“It’s pretty nice to get this experience,” 10-year-old Jensen Matsushita said.

Sign Up for the Idaho Way