Ravens safety [Ed Reed held his third annual youth football camp at Stevenson University Monday afternoon.
And that's where he wants the focus to stay.
Despite his recent comments on Twitter* *and in a recent radio interview, saying players get what they want by holding out, Reed declined to answer questions about his status for the 2012 season from reporters Monday.
Reed was asked whether the camp gets him excited for his own football season.
"My mind is so far away from what's about to happen in the fall," Reed said. "I'm thinking about other things. They've got more than this to be handled, so to say. It's about these kids right now. I'm always excited about life." Ed Reed's Youth Camp
Training camp is right around the corner, with veterans such as Reed expected to report next week on July 25.
Reed is under contract for this year, but it's unknown – based on his Twitter comments – whether he will be reporting to training camp at the outset.
Ravens Defensive Coordinator Dean Pees stopped in to Reed's camp and chatted with the All-Pro safety. The two hugged and Pees left midway through the morning session.
Reed said their discussion wasn't about football.
"All the guys on the team have so much respect for Coach Pees," Reed said. "He's just a great man, just has a great spirit about him. He has his heart in the right place. I know it was so far away from professional football for him to come out here. It was for him to come out and see these kids and be a part of it."
Defensive tackle Bryan Hall was also in attendance, helping Reed run the drills. He was asked whether he thinks Reed will report to training camp.
"I think Ed's going to do what's best for Ed," Hall said. "I support him either way. He's a great guy. He's always got my support."
Reed tweeted last week to "tell the bosses" that he's "comfortable" at home cutting the grass and spending time with his family. On Monday, he said he's also become quite a fan of golfing.
"That has taken over my life, become like my first love," he said before cracking a smile. "I used to love something else. Now something else is kind of coming in between that – sort of like a mistress."
Reed's Twitter comments have been met with mixed reactions from fans and on sports talk radio. On Monday, he was asked whether he feels he's misunderstood.
"Not everybody is going to understand you, man. You can't please everybody," he said. "That's just human nature; everybody has their opinion. That's going to be there. You deal with it, take it in stride. You take the good with the bad, take the bad with the good."
Approximately 100 kids from the area came out for Reed's event.
The safety gets right in the middle of the action, coaching the kids on the techniques they should be using to train and imparting some life lessons on topics like school and being careful about the people they hang out with.
"I've been a part of this community for a long time. There's a lot of people that support me, a lot of people that enjoy what I've done over my 10 years on the football field and the community," Reed said.
"It's important for me to give back to something that I came from. I have a lot of mentors, a lot of people here who still support me, a lot of people that help me through the everyday things in life that we all go through."
