Former NFL wide receiver Danny Buggs spoke to an audience of about 1,300 coaches and high school students attending the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) football camp at the Tabernacle Baptist Church Thursday evening. The event was also open to the public.

The 54-year-old Buggs, who played for the Washington Redskins and New York Giants, said he tried to use his background as an athlete to connect with the football players, who are attending a three-day camp at the University of West Georgia.

“We have an in-road because of sports,” Buggs said. “That’s our horse that we ride into town on. And every school has a sports program and the door is already open.”

Buggs has worked for the past year as the inner-city Atlanta director of the FCA, but has been giving speeches for 33 years. He said he has tried to emulate the lifestyle of Bobby Bowden, his football coach at the University of West Virginia, where Buggs was a first-team All-American.

Tim Eason, the West Metro Atlanta director of the FCA, said he wanted a speaker who had an experience level that the campers could look up to as a role model. Since Buggs works for the FCA, Eason said it was easy to ask him to come.

“Obviously, we’re having some trouble with role models in the NFL now, and so Danny brings back the credibility,” Eason said. “Our push this year is called ‘Heart and soul of sports.’ We want to bring back the purity of the game, the love of the game, the good competition, the sportsmanship.”

Buggs holds the West Virginia record for most career yards per reception with a 20.9 average and ranks fourth in career receiving yards with 1,796 and touchdown receptions with 15.

In 1979, Buggs’ final NFL season, he totaled 46 receptions for 631 yards and a touchdown with Washington while playing all 16 games for the only time in his career.

Brett Yenser, a junior quarterback at West Georgia, spoke to the crowd before Buggs.