LONG BEACH, Calif.  – John Ross III is a National Football League wide receiver, who is also a Long Beach native, and currently playing for the Cincinnati Bengals. He recently put together a celebrity basketball tournament to raise money for his foundation.

A group of kids from the Long Beach area were in the stands to watch the game. They directly benefitted from the foundation by taking part in Ross’s free football camp where they learned all of the fundamentals.

“How to keep our feet straight, how to back pedal. How the most comfortable we feel when we back pedal,” said camp attendee Jaylen Grier. “Small things turn into big things. The small stuff that you do can you really help me in life.”

The young athletes also picked up a lot of life skills along the way.

“Puts in in detail that you have to work hard, get good grades and like just do everything that you have to do and more to make it to the NFL,” said camp attendee Chris Fields.

Helping the next generation is why Ross got stars like Terrell Owens, Montrezl Harrell of the Clippers, Keenan Allen of the Chargers, and more to come out and hoop.

“I’m from Long Beach. It’s something I wish I could have done as a kid. To see their faces light up - to see how much it means to them means the world to me,” Ross said.

The kids appreciate Ross’s lessons on and off the court.

“He’s really nice to do this. He doesn’t have to. It’s a lot for us,” said Grier.

Ross is being hailed a hometown hero for helping the youngsters whose shoes he once stood in.