Three UTEP Miner stars give one-on-one coaching to the players of tomorrow

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- It's not everyday you get one-on-one, hands on coaching from Division 1 athletes, but three UTEP Miners took it upon themselves to give football players in the Borderland that very opportunity.

UTEP starting quarterback Gavin Hardison, UTEP starting wide receiver Tyrin Smith and UTEP backup quarterback Cade McConnell held a one-on-one session with wide receivers and quarterbacks from the Borderland on Wednesday night.

“People, little kids always come up to me and ask me different things about the different drills that I’m doing," Smith said. "I just thought it would be a good idea to come out and give back.”

The training session was Smith's idea, but his teammates were quick to jump on board.

“Whenever I was growing up I didn’t have a whole lot of opportunities like that," Hardison said. "I didn’t grow up in a city with a Division 1 program so to be able to to give back to kids like that and pass on your knowledge and elevate the game as a whole is huge.”

The hands-on training saw players like Burges freshman, Adam Hernandez get step-by-step instructions on his footwork, while Ysleta junior Nicholas Nevarez worked on his timing. Both meaningful lessons they will remember and carry with them through their high school careers and beyond.

“It definitely helped a lot," Hernandez said. "With Cade telling me like I could do it, it brought my confidence way up."

While the players learned new skills, the coaches hope the real lesson they took away had nothing to do with the X's and O's.

“It’s not just out here on the football field, it’s whatever job you want to get in life everything is possible just keep your mind to it and keep working," Smith said.

“It really motivates me because it shows me that things are possible if you just pave the way," Nevarez said.

No matter what the trio of Miners achieve on the field this season, they've now forever left their mark on the future generations of players that will step onto football fields around the Borderland.

“Even though they’re not from here they know that if they help the kids from here it will make a big impact on them and kids like me really appreciate it," Hernandez said. "I would relive this moment every time.”

There's a chance Hernandez will be able to relive it all again - the players told ABC-7 they would like to hold more sessions in the future if they can fit it in with their schedule.