Miami’s Restrepo, joined by QB Van Dyke, heads up the road to impart wisdom to youth

Before Saturday, the last time we saw University of Miami starting slot receiver Xavier Restrepo was in April doing Restrepo-type things — contorting his body in any way humanly possible to make impressive catches — at the Hurricanes spring game at Fort Lauderdale’s DRV PNK Stadium.

Early Saturday morning, Restrepo was back up the road a bit on the Monarch High School football field in Coconut Creek, teaching dozens of youngsters some football basics at the one-day Xavier Restrepo Youth Football Camp. Accompanying him: several volunteers, including close friend and starting UM quarterback Tyler Van Dyke.

The next time we’ll see both: at fall camp, which begins the first week of August.

“This is pretty close to home,’’ said Restrepo as he greeted parents and children and signed T-shirts donated by CanesWear in Davie. “I grew up literally two minutes away from here in Coconut Creek and played my first two years of high school at Monarch. More than 220 registered. It’s a free camp, and when I was a kid I was inspired by college and NFL players. I always wanted to go to their camps to see what they looked like and how they acted and carried themselves.

Just trying to be an inspiration for the youth.’’

Inspirational

Restrepo, who also coaches a 10-and-under seven-on-seven team, is already an inspiration for Van Dyke, and vice versa. After his two seasons at Monarch, Restrepo played one season at St. Thomas Aquinas before finishing his prep career at Deerfield Beach High. He is entering his fourth season at UM.

“He grew up in this community so it’s definitely cool for him to give back,’’ Van Dyke, also entering his fourth UM season, said. “He’s always helping kids. And he’s definitely valuable for the Hurricanes. He’s just got to stay healthy this season.”

Same for Van Dyke, who said it was a third-degree sprain of the AC joint of his right shoulder that resulted in his missing most of the latter half of the 5-7 2022 season. Restrepo told the Miami Herald he “broke the fifth metatarsal” of his left foot, but after missing five games, returned at Virginia on Oct. 29 and is now completely healed.

“I don’t want to call it bad luck, but we just didn’t have things going for us last year,’’ said Restrepo, whose family moved to Pembroke Pines when he was a UM sophomore. “We’ve learned so much. I’m so ready for this season.”

On Saturday, in broiling 90-plus degree conditions, the campers were give water breaks every 20 minutes, but appeared to have a grand time. Restrepo’s mom Ashley Padgett and dad Jaime Restrepo, who are at many of his UM practices, were on the field or preparing oranges and refreshments, with his 10-year-old brother Dominic sidelined by a sprained finger. Former Hurricane and NIL marketing agent Shawn O’Dare, part of Rosenhaus Sports, said this would be Restrepo’s last NIL event before UM practice.

“This is an opportunity for him to work with a broader age-range spectrum of kids,’’ O’Dare said, “and it’s very special to do it in the area he’s from.’’

‘Ground zero’

Added Ashley: “This is literally where Xavier started and began getting noticed. Ground zero. This is where he truly started believing in himself.”

Paula and Orlando Soto of Coconut Creek are diehard Canes fans and brought their 10-year-old, sixth-grade son Lorenzo to the camp. Older brother Nicholas, 14, a soon-to-be a ninth grade Monarch player, volunteered.

“I want to have fun,’’ said Lorenzo, who rolled his eyes with a grin when asked if he were ready to sweat. “This is nice because it’s [Restrepo’s] home field and he gets to show kids how it was.’’

Said Paula: “Xavier is super humble. By him doing this, he’s telling people, ‘I’m here for you guys.’’’

The camp brought one family who moved from Miami to Edmond, Oklahoma, but have always been huge UM fans.

“We all grew up in Miami,’’ said Kassie Hameister, mother of 11-year-old Brody. “I had season tickets to UM forever and we’re visiting. We were so excited he could be here.’’