Keenan Allen's AAU basketball team visited Chargers Park on Saturday.
While Keenan Allen dominates the gridiron on the field, off of it, he's spending time with some of San Diego's youth on the basketball court.
Allen is the head sponsor of the San Diego Slayers, a local 13U AAU basketball team. While he's supported his Slayers, the team came to support him at Training Camp on Saturday.
"It's great (to see them)," Allen said. "They just got back from a tournament in Vegas and they did a good job. It's nice to bring them out here and let them have a little fun."
"It means a lot to come out here and it benefits (the Slayers) a lot," added Slayers Head Coach Jalen Lake. "We'll come out for every opportunity we get to support Keenan because he supports us. He gives them access and exposure that other kids don't get. It's a blessing. It lets them see the hard work that it takes to get to this point."
For the Slayers players, seeing their sponsor in action was a thrill.
"It's fun," said point guard Morris Stokes. "I love to see Keenan out there doing good and putting in hard work. He got us team shoes and everything."
"It's awesome to watch our sponsor Keenan," added guard Diego Solis. "He's done a lot for us so it's cool to watch him play football. He's given us a lot of opportunities to play in tournaments and meet new people."
Derek Carter, an assistant coach, said the coaching staff and players are forever indebted to Allen for sponsoring the team. The sponsorship came about when number 13, who is cousins with Lake, decided to take the group under his wing and make them an AAU team.
Stokes mentioned Allen comes to their practices and even plays with them. As good as number 13 is on the field, Stokes said he's just good on the court.
While Football is Family in the NFL, family is also abundant on the Slayers squad. Along with playing with a fierce mentality from their sponsor, Lake said Allen stresses a family mentality on the Slayers so that the team plays as one.
"He (stresses) the family part," he said. "We're a family no matter what we do and in everything we do (even in) different types of activities."
