Former Eagle Haason Reddick reflects on his time in Philly at kids camp in Camden

Though Haason Reddick is no longer a member of the Eagles, his efforts to serve and give back to his community haven’t changed. On Saturday, Reddick hosted his seventh annual youth camp at the athletic fields along Camden’s Waterfront.

Reddick, a Camden native, was traded from the Eagles to the New York Jets on April 1. He arrived to the camp in a white Jets workout shirt, and the T-shirts given out at his camp reflect the green and white of the Jets’ uniform. Before the camp officially began around 1 p.m., Reddick said his message to the kids, ages 7-16, participating in his camp is that they “can be more than a statistic.”

“I don’t ever want the city to think that I forgot about them or that they’re forgotten about,” Reddick told The Inquirer about no longer playing for the Eagles. “I want them to always know that there’s somebody out there that does support them and actually wants to see them do better.

“I never envisioned myself being in this position,” Reddick added of hosting his seventh camp. “And now that I’m here, all I’ve been trying to do was finding the next one or the next couple Haason Reddicks.”

The Temple alumnus had some help from his former school as well during his kids camp. A handful of current Owls on the football team assisted in monitoring and teaching a variety of football drills.

“It just shows how important and how amazing our connection is,” Reddick said. “[Temple] has been rocking with me ever since I’ve been there and I just love the support that they give me and I love the support that I’m able to give them.

“Camden made me into a young adult, a young teen, but going over to Temple is what made me a man, and I’m forever grateful for that.”

» READ MORE: Haason Reddick skips Jets camp, holding out for a new contract after trade from Eagles

Reddick amassed 27 sacks during his two seasons with the Eagles, including 16 in 2022 to earn him All-Pro honors. The Eagles signed Reddick as a free agent on March 16, 2022, to a three-year, $45 million contract after a one-year stint with the Carolina Panthers. He was traded this offseason for a conditional 2026 draft pick from the Jets.

NFL training camp is just around the corner, and up until this point, Reddick hadn’t showed up for any team workouts or minicamp since joining the Jets.

Though Reddick declined to speak on the specifics of where his contract dispute with the Jets stands, he took a moment to give homage to Eagles fans as he prepares to play for another franchise.

“It was great years [with the Eagles], but as they say, all good things must come to an end,” Reddick said. “To the people out there, Birds nation, Eagles fan, I still got love for y’all, even though I’m not on the team. Y’all will always have a special place in my heart and I hope to always have your guys’ continued support.”

Among the few players that Reddick has remained in contact with since leaving the Eagles three months ago includes Brandon Graham, who’s entering his 15th and final season in the NFL.

» READ MORE: Brandon Graham on what’s next for the Eagles at edge rusher after the Haason Reddick trade

Reddick added: “It’s been a little hard as I’m sitting here trying to iron out my own situation but I still talk to some of the guys [like] BG. He was probably the last guy that I talked to. We had a great and amazing relationship during my time there and he’s somebody that I’ll forever be thankful for just because of his mindset, and how he helped me integrate into the team.”