I’ve been coaching quarterbacks for over 20 years. I’ve worked with NFL starters, Heisman hopefuls, college standouts, and sixth graders gripping a football for the first time. But the truth is, I’m not just here to train arms—I’m here to build young men.
That’s why mentorship is everything to me.
I Know What It Feels Like to Miss Out
Growing up, I didn’t have access to elite camps or private coaching. I’d hear about quarterback camps and tell my dad, “I want to go to that.” And his response was always, “You’ve got four older brothers—go to the backyard and throw the ball with them. That’s your quarterback camp.”
Now I look back and I smile, because I understand it. But I also remember what it felt like to want an opportunity and not be able to take it. That stayed with me. And when I finally got the chance to become a coach—to shape lives, not just throw mechanics—I made a commitment:
If I ever had the platform, I’d open the door for every kid who deserved a shot.
The Power of One Voice
That’s where mentorship comes in. Some people call it being a “father figure,” but I prefer the word mentor—because I never want to replace someone’s dad. What I want to do is show up consistently, help young athletes make sense of the world, and be the person who says, “You’ve got what it takes.”
Sometimes that means teaching them how to read a defense. Sometimes it means telling them to sit up straight and look someone in the eye when they speak. And sometimes it means just listening when they’re dealing with real stuff off the field.
Mentorship is meeting a kid exactly where they are—and helping them get to where they could be.
Word of the Day: Consistency
Every camp I run, every practice I lead, I always say the same thing: “What’s the word of the day?” And every quarterback who’s trained with me—even the ones I coached over a decade ago—knows the answer: Consistency.
If you want to be great at anything—football, relationships, school, life—you’ve got to show up every day and give your best. That’s true for quarterbacks, and that’s true for people.
Consistency is how habits are built. It’s how trust is earned. It’s how potential becomes performance.
Not Just Players—Leaders
The truth is, not every athlete I train is going to play Division I football. Not every quarterback is going to make it to the NFL. That’s not the mission.
The mission is to help them become leaders.
If a camper leaves my program and becomes a college starter—amazing. If he becomes a high school coach pouring into his own community—just as amazing. I’ve trained kids who now train others. I’ve watched campers become mentors themselves. That’s the legacy.
That’s the torch we pass.
Real Life, Real Coaching
When I bring someone like Jordan Love into camp, it’s not about the NFL flash or the celebrity photo op. It’s about exposing these kids to the real work behind the scenes. Jordan doesn’t just throw a few balls and leave—he breaks down film with them, he shares how he prepares for a game, how he watches third-and-five blitz packages, how he adjusts when the pocket collapses. That’s the next-level stuff. That’s the kind of insight most kids never get.
But more than that—Jordan listens. He encourages. He mentors.
He’s a reflection of what this program is about: athletes becoming students of the game, and then teachers of the next generation.
A Positive Light in a Noisy World
These days, kids are hit with so much negativity—scroll through TikTok or Instagram, and you’ll see what I mean. They’re becoming desensitized to violence, chaos, and noise.
That’s why I want the Change The Game Foundation to be a positive light. A place where kids come to learn, grow, and believe in something bigger. I always tell them, “I’m just a kid from Santa Ana. I’m not from Beverly Hills. I didn’t grow up in Soho. I came from right here—and if I can do it, so can you.”
And maybe they won’t all become NFL stars. But if just one kid walks away from camp with a new mindset, with more confidence, with a fire to lead—then we’ve done something powerful.
We’re Not Just Building Quarterbacks—We’re Building Men
At the end of the day, this is what drives me. Every pass, every drill, every conversation—it’s all about building something bigger than football.
It’s about building men who know who they are and what they stand for.
So whether I’m coaching a future pro or a 12-year-old who just learned how to take a snap, my mission stays the same:
Change the game. Build the person. Inspire the future.
— Coach Steve Calhoun
Founder, Change The Game Foundation