Dallas Elite Coach trying to bring new attitude to Laredo

LAREDO, Tx (KGNS) - Jerry Lopez has a name synonymous with high school football in the Gateway City.

Not only as a record-breaking quarterback in his days at Alexander, but also a coach with Zapata and then United South before taking on a new endeavor up in Dallas. Now Lopez is trying to bring that mindset back to his hometown by uniting players from multiple schools to try and push each other to the limit.

“Try to get everyone to come and believe that they can become a better community, working out and do all we can through the football drills and detailed stuff and motivate each other to be better because our main goal here is to knock down that third round door and do something different,” said Lopez.

For Lopez, getting the chance to come back and do all this on the campus where he made a name for himself is a special feeling.

“It felt good to be back home and doing this here especially, it means a lot and it means a lot to my family and I have coach Aldo Hernandez, he’s a leading receiver in Laredo and he graduated from here and he said the same thing, it’s good to be back and trying to make a difference here,” said Lopez.

Getting the chance to have this kind of camp gave him another chance to be side by side with that other Lopez from the area who has made a name for himself in football as a coach, his dad Joel.

“It’s a special feeling when your pops has that drive to coach and change kids’ lives.  You see that as a child, as his son and it’s very moving because one day I want to be as good as he is,” said Lopez.

Changing kids’ lives is what it’s all about and in this day and age of youth sports getting more specialized every day, the Lopez is hoping some of what he’s learned in Dallas can help the kids of the Gateway City.

“I want football to be year-round and I want them to love the sport and learn how to love it while building that culture of football in our community and up there in Dallas that’s all they do. They do it and they feel it every single day.  They practice late hours at night and then get up and go to school and do the same thing every day and that’s something I want to establish in this community one day,” said Lopez.

While this was the first camp Lopez has organized since starting Dallas Elite but he is hoping to expand on them in the future.

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