Titus Amos didn’t mind that the camp didn’t have many participants.
In fact, the recent Madison Central High School graduate preferred it that way.
Instead of fighting for recognition among hundreds of prospects all seeking feedback from the coaches, Amos and four other college hopefuls were all able to get that valuable one-on-one time with the coaches at Mississippi Valley State’s prospect camp on Tuesday morning.
While some of Valley’s football players were stretching and going through offseason cardio training, Amos and the four other prospects were mostly off to the side of Chuck Prophet Field where they worked through just about every drill a football player can.
Valley’s wide receivers coach Arlo Henderson and quarterbacks coach Grant Simms were the main men running the show, barking orders and stopping drills to help the players make corrections with their footwork and sometimes their effort.
They ran around cones to test speed and agility. They ran wide receiver routes and learned when and where to make cuts, and most importantly, how to keep their eye on the incoming pass so they don’t drop the crucial catch. They ran with the ball. They ran to the ball. They even ran from the ball when working on cornerback drills. They also just ran.
Head coach Terrell Buckley supervised the action and often would step in to talk to the players. He even threw some passes to them during the route-running part of the camp.
At the end of the two-hour workout in the hot, humid Delta air, all five prospects walked to the bench on the sideline and took a well-earned seat and swig of Gatorade.
“They were teaching us footwork, to keep pushing through and keeping our heads up and actually following through with what we started to do. Just finishing,” said Amos, who played nickelback for the Jaguars. “I learned a few things and saw what football is like at a different level.”
He said the best part of the camp was how the coaches took the time to work with him individually.
“They are cool. They are fun. They are hardworking,” Amos explained. “They know how to push a player, and I like that about Valley.”
He currently doesn’t have any football offers, but getting one from Valley would be special. Amos has family in Greenville and being stationed in Itta Bena would allow him to see them more often.
“They’re my inspiration for being up here,” he said.
Also looking for his first offer on Tuesday was Jayden Burkley, a senior-to-be linebacker and running back at DeSoto Central High School. He made the trek to Itta Bena for an opportunity to show his talents to Valley’s coaches in hopes of earning a spot with the Delta Devils.
Jayden Burkley of DeSoto Central High School makes a catch during Valley’s prospect camp on Tuesday. (By Jared Conerly, Copyright 2025 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.)
“That would be the best feeling in the world,” he said. “That would be my first offer.”
He said the instruction he received at Valley’s camp will help him in his upcoming senior year of ball.
“I’m not a receiver, but they told me how to run routes and stuff. How to come out of my drops better,” Burkley said. “It was pretty chill, pretty cool. They came out and worked me and gave me some little tips and tricks for my craft that I can carry on into this season.”
On Saturday, Valley is hosting a much bigger camp with many more prospects looking for coaching and the chance to show their skills. It’s an important day, but Buckley said there’s something just special about working with a few players instead of dealing with a mass of bodies.
“It’s pretty neat,” he said. “We like to coach, and then you get some of these other (camps) where you only have a handful show up — now you get that personal touch. We can really dig in and see and evaluate you properly.”
The large camps, though, are necessary for Valley’s future. It’s another avenue for Buckley and his staff to get talented prospects on campus. Talent, is what Buckley said Valley needs.
“How do you get the players? You get them to come to your campus, and then you can spend some quality time with them. So, now instead of losing them to other schools, now they are sitting there like, ‘Man, I really like that the coaches coach me. Their football IQ is very high (and Valley is a place) where I can be a successful person, not just an athlete. When I leave there, I’m going to have something to fall back on as a I move forward and be a positive member of society.’
“The only way you can get there and know that is to spend some time with us”
-Contact Jared Conerly at 662-581-7237 or jconerly@gwcommonwealth.com.
