Wise Big Man Camp, run by NFL DE Deatrich Wise Jr., gives ‘hidden gems’ an opportunity to shine

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Big men need love, too.

That’s one of the mottos at the Wise Big Man Camp that will be held Saturday, June 20 at Lancaster (Texas) High, run by Washington Commanders defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. and his family in an effort to gain more exposure for not only well-known prospects but also those hidden gems looking for an opportunity to play college football.

“It’s very important,” Wise said. “It’s something that I grew up missing. My brothers and I all played defensive line and there are always skill camps, 7on7s, everything from quarterback camps to running back camps to DB/WR camps.

“One thing we wanted to do when I got to the next level was come back to Dallas and create a camp that would help educate and teach the techniques and fundamentals of the offensive and defensive lines.

“That’s something I’ve always hung my hat on wanting to do that. As we’ve grown, I then wanted to shine light on offensive and defensive linemen. We ended up adding testing to showcase their skills.”

Players from the Dallas Metroplex have shown up to the camp, now in its seventh summer, along with players from throughout the southern United States.

For the elite players, getting tutored by Myles Garrett, Matthew Judon, Shaun Smith, along with offensive linemen including Tony Hills and others, is an invaluable tool in their development.

But this camp is designed is mainly designed for what Wise calls those “hidden gems” still looking for an opportunity to prove they can play.

“There have been some three- and four-stars who have come in and helped increase their skills,” Wise said.

“We have brought in some big talent at the high school level because of that. Most of those guys already have scholarships, so they’re there for the education. The other half is there to get seen and possibly go to the next level with what we’re teaching.

“This was an observation of offensive and defensive linemen across the whole diaspora of high school recruiting. I saw that just me being a part of the recruiting carousel.”

It was an interesting ride for Wise, going from Carrollton (Texas) Hebron to Arkansas and then being a fourth-round pick of the New England Patriots, where he won a Super Bowl. Wise is now with the Commanders.

Early in his high school career, Wise had no recruiting attention and no offers. Wake Forest was the first to come through after seeing his highlight tape and then watching him during his spring game.

“That was pretty cool,” Wise said. “It was my first scholarship ever. They came to my spring game after seeing my season and offered me. After that, I got a lot of attraction.”

Following some impressive performances in his senior season against powerhouse programs in the Dallas area, Arkansas, Alabama, Texas Tech and Baylor all reached out. The Razorbacks offered but the others decided to pass.

When it came down to decision time, Wise had Arkansas, Wake Forest, Arizona and Arkansas State as his four options. He chose the Razorbacks

“Arkansas was ranked three at the time and then No. 5 when I got there, it was the SEC and it was close to home,” Wise said. “Great program, great academics, great environment, great fan base, so I made my decision to go to Arkansas and it was really good.”

The intention was to play for coach Bobby Petrino but then he was fired, John L. Smith got the job and then Bret Bielema was hired.

For some, that amount of coaching turnover not only at head coach but among defensive coordinators and position coaches could have been debilitating. Instead, Wise used it to his advantage to reach his ultimate goal.

“It kind of prepared me for the NFL,” Wise said. “Just different philosophies, different coaching styles, it was pretty cool.”

And now he’s trying to give that opportunity to others.

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