Paradise Coast Sports Complex hosts inaugural event amid pandemic

The first day of Football University’s Top Gun Showcase ended late Friday afternoon. About 800 athletes took to take to the field to show off their skills.

“I’m excited to prove myself and show that I can play for the top schools in the country,” said Carson Vetor, a Gulf High School senior and wide receiver.

Carson has been playing football for about a decade and his father is excited for him to go up against talent of such high caliber.

“It’s absolutely a pleasure to be here…and have him have the opportunity to go up against the best kids in the country,” said father Chris Vetor.

Carson has the ability to be selected for the National Combine if he performs well. It showcases 600 of the nation’s top underclassmen. And the national combine has a rich history.

“It’s where a lot of the players in the NFL got on the map and got their start. 200 of those invites are going to go out right here at this camp,” said Erik Richards, National Recruiting Director for the NBC All America Bowl and Vice President of Football University.

Of course, the stakes are high for those competing at Paradise Coast Sports Complex and Event Center this weekend.

The stakes are also high for organizers who have been tasked with keeping 800 participants socially distanced and following proper hygiene practices and wearing masks.

Steven Quinn, President of Football University said, ” As an event company… we had to become ‘experts’ on how to do this. So we’ve learned a lot and I don’t know that camps will ever be the same.”

And for some parents, COVID isn’t as much of a concern. They’re just trying to relax and have a good time, especially if visiting from out-of-state.

“We’ve just been really relaxing and enjoying the time,” said Larry Ford, from Oklahoma City. “We’ll be here for almost a week. We’re just going to do FBU first. Get that taken care of, and then we’re just going to relax and make the rest of our days a vacation … spend some time at the beach do some tourism and then go to a couple of restaurants.”

Collier County Commissioner Penny Taylor is excited to hear this because she believes amateur sports are essentially recession-proof and they bring stability to the area.

“This is the beginning of a future that is going to bring more diversity in our tourism to our county,” Taylor said.

FBU is a big part of that, as they’ve committed to another four events over the next two years.

“Steve wants this to be the hub of most major events so not only will it be football but it will be other things, bring in income and just stuff to do,” said Spencer Adkins, former NFL player and an FBU coach.

A lacrosse showcase, as well as some soccer events, are already booked at Paradise Coast Sports for the fall.

The FBU National Championship will take place there in December. County officials say events like these will be used to attract promoters for future events.