Former Morgan County quarterback Cal Camp will live out his dream on Saturday by playing a game at Sanford Stadium, but he will be competing against top-ranked Georgia as an opponent.
Camp, a Madison native, plays for the UT-Martin Skyhawks, who the Bulldogs will host on Saturday.
“Sanford Stadium was a place where I was raised, to an extent. My dad played at the University of Georgia in the 1990s,” Camp said. “So for me, Georgia football was all I knew growing up, especially with my dad playing there. It’s a very special moment and opportunity for my family and me.”
Camp grew up around Madison and Athens. He attended Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy and Athens Academy before finishing high school at Morgan County, and Camp graduated in 2020.
Camp started for them in 2020, leading the Bulldogs to a Class AAA playoff berth. After he graduated, Camp attended a prep school in Mississippi, where he was named an All-American in 2021.
While in Mississippi, Camp passed for 2,037 yards and 30 scores in five games. He missed a majority of the season due to injury, but his performance on the field helped him sign with the Skyhawks.
Now, Camp enters the 2023 season as UT-Martin’s scout team quarterback, but he made the travel roster, so he’s looking forward to the chance of returning to Athens and playing against the Bulldogs.
“I think this is one of those moments where you just thank God because he’s so good. This is truly as sweet as a moment gets,” Camp said. “I don’t think there’s many more places special than Sanford Stadium. For my family and I, it’s about as sacred as it gets in the world of college football.”
UT-Martin head coach Jason Simpson told the Lake Oconee News that Camp is a hard worker and that he takes every opportunity he gets to make himself a better player both on and off the field.
“Cal is a great teammate. We’re glad he’s here with us,” Simpson said. “He’s working really hard. His teammates have a lot of respect for him. We lost a quarterback a couple of weeks ago who left the team, so everybody moved up a [spot]. I look out there between Cal’s classes and he’s out there on the field. When you’re the scout team quarterback, sometimes you don’t get a whole lot of reps, and so, he’s out there in between his classes going through base plays by himself. I think I might have seen another young running back out there with him working on handoffs in case his opportunity comes sometime down the road. He’ll be able to help the team one day.”
Cal’s father, Drew, is extremely proud of his son and the chance he’s getting to follow in his foot steps.
“He’s a smart kid and a really hard worker,” the elder Camp said. “When you work hard, don’t quit and persevere, you can take lemons and turn them into lemonade if you’re willing to put in enough work to get there. Hard work, diligence and consistency cure a lot of things in life. I’m proud of him.”
Camp played for former Morgan County head coach Bill Malone while in high school. He learned a lot from Malone, who retired after the 2020 season. The main thing Camp took away from playing under Malone was to keep grinding and never give up no matter how hard things got.
Camp has the “utmost respect” for Malone and his style of coaching. The two have stayed in contact.
“He was a man of integrity and discipline. He liked things a certain way,” Camp said. “Coach Malone has my highest and utmost respect. I appreciate everything he has done for me over the years.”
As far as the Morgan County football program goes, Camp believes new head coach Clint Jenkins has it going in the right direction. He still talks with a few of his former teammates and coaches.
The former Bulldog has a close relationship with quarterback Talan Fuller, who was a freshman when Camp was a senior. Camp also talks to backup sophomore quarterback Davis Strickland often.
“Talan and Davis being probably the two that I talk to the most,” Camp said. “Talan was a freshman when I was a senior, so I walked him through the ranks. Davis was in the seventh grade when I was a senior and he was coming up through middle school. I’ve helped these guys train a little bit and simplified the game for them as much as I can. It’s like I am passing it on to the next generation. It was a hard loss last week [against Greene County] but I send them texts every Friday.”
Camp also keeps in touch with offensive coordinator Brett Bell, who also started at quarterback for Morgan County while he was in high school. The two have a close relationship with each other.
“Coach Bell is the man,” Camp said. “He deserves to be the offensive coordinator and I am glad he moved back to the offensive side of the ball. He’s a great football coach and an even better mentor.”
Camp’s mother and father will be in attendance on Saturday, as well as his sister Cooper, who recently graduated from Georgia. She was a member of the Bulldogs’ football recruiting staff as well.
“It’s safe to say our blood runs red and black,” Drew Camp joked. “That’s for sure.”
Camp might not be playing for his favorite team growing up, but he’s ready to be between the hedges.
“Georgia is the standard. Georgia is the measuring stick in college football right now,” Camp said. “Having the opportunity to go out and play the defending national champions, there’s nothing better.”