'I Want to Give them Hope': Luther Burden III Returns Home to Host Youth Football Camp

The Missouri Tigers superstar wide receiver returned to his hometown of East St. Louis to host a skills camp for young kids in the area.

Missouri Tigers wide receiver Luther Burden III speaks to participants at his youth football camp at East St. Louis High School. / Joey Van Zummeren - MissouriOnSI

EAST ST. LOUIS, IL. — Driving into East St. Louis, Illinois, on a Saturday morning in late July, the Gateway Arch peeked through a thick layer of fog hovering the Mississippi River.

The monument — representing hope and opportunity — was barely visible, and fittingly so. Too often, the suburb across the river lacks exactly those things.

Luther Burden III, however, wants to bring both hope and opportunity into the lives of young kids in the area. The Missouri Tigers star wide receiver hosted a youth football camp at his alma mater of East St. Louis High School Saturday afternoon.

"Blessed to have opportunity to come back and give my knowledge and my awareness to the young kids here," Burden said in a media session ahead of the camp. "I'm happy to be here, I'm happy that they came out to support me."

Luther Burden III stands among participants at his youth football camp at East St. Louis High School. / Joey Van Zummeren - MissouriOnSI

Burden's impact in his hometown and the rest of the city is amplified by his decision to stay home by committing to Missouri in October of 2021. As a five-star prospect, Missouri was an underdog in the recruiting process against blue blood schools like Georgia and Alabama. His decision to commit to head coach Eli Drinkwitz and the Tigers was a shock to many.

Burden set out to change the culture at Missouri, a program that had only reached three bowl games in the seven seasons before he arrived. With Burden as a leading force, Missouri leaped onto the national stage during the 2023 college football season with a 11-2 campaign that ended with a victory over Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.

St. Louis has long been a producer of top football recruits but Missouri failed too successfully recruit many of its top in-state talent before Burden. From 2010-2020, the Tigers only landed the top prospect in the state of Missouri for three high school classes. After Burden emerged on the scene for Missouri, the Tigers landed commitments from the top in-state prospect in both the Class of 2024 and 2025.

"That was what I wanted to do. That was my reason for coming to Missouri, to change the culture."

Luther Burden III talks to participants at his youth football camp at East St. Louis High School. / Joey Van Zummeren - MissouriOnSI

The opportunity to inspire local youth by showing them they can succeed in their home state was another driving factor for Burden's program-changing commitment. The ability to host community events as a local star is important for Burden.

"Making a huge impact in my city and my home state, it was definitely a reason I wanted to stay home and stay close to my people."

At 20 years old, Burden is one of the biggest names in college football. He hopes to be a shining example to young kids in the area to inspire them to chase their own dreams.

Telling a kid that their dreams are possible can be helpful. But meeting someone who has actually done it, like Burden, is inspiring and encouraging. It provides hope, especially when its someone who has lived through similar circumstances they have.

His star can be blinding. Most kids just know the receiver from watching him through the television screen as he dominates defenses on Saturdays in the fall. But on this Saturday, he was tying kids shoes and squirting water through Gatorade bottles. Playing catch, dancing and laughing with them. He's a real life example of what they can become if they take on his work ethic and discipline.

"That one of you guys can be next up," Burden said when asked what message he wants to give to camp participants. "You don't have to be the most privileged growing up so I just wanted to come here and give them hope."

Luther Burden III uses a Gatorade bottle to squirt water to a participant at his youth football camp at East St. Louis High School. / Joey Van Zummeren - MissouriOnSI

Burden has lived through the struggles too familiar to youth in the area. He believes experiencing this adversity formed him into a stronger person.

"St. Louis made me who I am because all the struggles (that) come with being from St. Louis. It helped me (become) the person I am today."

Through these struggles, football served as a place of escape for Burden. At his youth camp, where kids aged 6-14 received instruction from assistant coaches along with Burden himself, Burden can inspire a passion in kids for the game that has given him opportunity and peace.

"Football is definitely a distraction for me in a good way because you notice a lot of negativity and a lot of things you can do bad here in the city of St. Louis and I just use football as my aggression from everything that was happening in my life at the time."

Burden is all the proof that local kids need to see that football can not only be an escape from struggles but also route to success. With a star in front of them, the path to success is slightly less foggy.

Missouri Tigers wide receiver Luther Burden III (middle of the fourth row) poses for a group photo with all participants and assistant coaches at his youth football camp at East St. Louis High School. / Joey Van Zummeren - MissouriOnSI

Read more Missouri Tigers news:

Luther Burden III Aiming for Big Season, Anticipates Playoff Game at Faurot Field

Missouri's Eli Drinkwitz Opens Up About Wide Receiver Luther Burden III

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