Minnesota Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman returned to familiar ground Saturday, leading a youth football camp at Eden Prairie High School – the field where he once starred as a standout prep player.
As a senior in 2014, Cashman helped lead the Eagles to a perfect 13-0 season and their fourth straight state championship. He graduated in 2015, walked on at the University of Minnesota, was drafted by the New York Jets in 2019, and signed with the Vikings in 2024. He’s now entering his seventh NFL season.
Roughly 130 to 150 athletes, ages 6 to 16, took part in the July 12 camp, one of three hosted that weekend by FlexWork Sports, which partners with professional athletes to organize youth camps. Cashman also led camps in Rochester and St. Cloud.
Campers, grouped by age, rotated through seven stations focused on passing, catching, speed and agility. At one station, Cashman quarterbacked a mini touch-football scrimmage, calling plays and offering encouragement. Elsewhere, players raced through footwork drills and competed in pursuit challenges.
Wearing a gray T-shirt and black hat, Cashman moved from group to group, engaging with players, posing for photos and shouting praise after big plays. Each participant took home a special-edition T-shirt and a memorable experience with a hometown pro.
The camp was presented by FlexWork Sports, with Scheels supporting the Eden Prairie event through T-shirt and merchandise contributions.
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