NEW LONDON 鈥� In their formative years in football, Brandon and Shane Zylstra didn鈥檛 have any local football camps to attend. If the brothers wanted to sharpen their skills, that usually meant a trip to either the Twin Cities or to Fargo, North Dakota.
The Zylstra brothers had a dream to bring a football camp to west central Minnesota. That dream came to fruition in 2023. And on Thursday, Brandon and Shane were back at it for the 3rd Annual Zylstra Brothers Football Camp at Pederson Field at the brothers鈥� alma mater of New London-Spicer High 歪歪漫画.
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Brandon graduated from NLS in 2011, followed by Shane in 鈥�15.
鈥淚t鈥檚 something we love doing,鈥� Brandon said. 鈥淕rowing up, we thought there weren't enough of these around the area. Now, between us two, we just have so much different coaching experience and engagement with players. We always say we have a master鈥檚 in football now and that鈥檚 something we want to be able to give back.鈥�
This year鈥檚 camp featured four groups of football players ranging from kindergarten to first grade all the way to sixth to 12th grade. Between 150 to 160 athletes signed up for the camp, according to Brandon.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been fun to see it grow year by year,鈥� Shane said. 鈥淚t gets bigger every year and we were able to add new things this year with a DJ and different stations. With the money that we raise, it goes to different things around the community.鈥�
A key for the Zylstra brothers was to have drills that kids can emulate at home without the need for extra equipment.
鈥淓verything we do, we try to expose them to different drills that we had done growing up,鈥� Brandon said. 鈥淕et introduced here and it鈥檚 something they can take home and go do themselves. You don鈥檛 need cones and ladders; you can just use sidewalk chalk and tennis shoes as cones and whatnot. That鈥檚 something we always did growing up.鈥�
Along with the Zylstra brothers, the camp included one of Brandon鈥檚 best friends in football, Bryant Mitchell. The two were teammates for the Canadian Football League鈥檚 Edmonton Eskimos from 2016-17.
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鈥淲e played together and he was somebody who held me accountable,鈥� Brandon said, 鈥渁nd now, he鈥檚 been able to see my roots 鈥� and visit with my family and friends.
鈥淚t鈥檚 cool to bring my experience from around the world and where football has taken me, who I鈥檝e met and bring it back to where it started for me.鈥�
Shane鈥檚 football journey has found a home with the Detroit Lions. He鈥檚 spent four seasons playing tight end in Detroit, playing in 29 games. He has 15 career catches for 116 yards and four touchdowns.
Shane, 28, re-signed with the Lions back in March.
鈥淚鈥檓 really comfortable there with the coaching staff and my family鈥檚 comfortable living there,鈥� Shane said. 鈥淲e just really enjoy the area and call it a second home for us.鈥�
After Detroit went 15-3 last season and won the NFC North Division, the Lions experienced turnover with their top assistants under head coach Dan Campbell. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson became the head coach for the Chicago Bears. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is now the head coach for the New York Jets.
The new offensive coordinator for the Lions is John Morton. In 2024, he was the pass game coordinator for the Denver Broncos.
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鈥淚t鈥檚 been a little bit of a challenge but thankfully we鈥檙e not changing too much,鈥� Shane said of the transition from Johnson to Morton. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a pretty smooth transition. We got quite a few veterans on the offense. We鈥檝e had the key core group really stick together, so that鈥檚 been great.鈥�
In late June, Shane was in Nashville, Tennessee to attend Tight End University, a camp started by fellow NFL tight ends George Kittle, Travis Kelce and Greg Olson.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just picking the veterans鈥� brains of people who have had a lot of success doing it and see what works for them,鈥� Shane said. 鈥淢aybe I could do something a little bit differently and have more success at it. It鈥檚 about trying to add tools to your tool belt.鈥�
After a five-year NFL career playing wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings, Carolina Panthers and the Lions, Brandon said he is retired from pro football. He鈥檚 now working in real estate in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Brandon, 32, played in 55 games in the NFL. He finished with 30 receptions for 414 yards and one touchdown catch. He also had a special teams touchdown on a muffed punt as a member of the Panthers in 2020. His receiving touchdown came in 2021 from former Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold.
鈥淚鈥檓 onto the next chapter of my life,鈥� said Brandon, who didn鈥檛 rule out coaching football in the future and wants to stay involved in the sport.
Brandon added, 鈥�(Real estate) is something that鈥檚 always interested me; I鈥檝e talked about it even before I got into football. 鈥� I played there (in Charlotte) for three years, so I had a very good feel for the city. I knew where everything was and I had good connections around the city. It鈥檚 just very comfortable. I had a house out there already. I went back to go do some work there and then I just never left.鈥�
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But, with his younger brother, he makes the trek back for camp in the summer time.
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