Jameel McClain to hold free football and fitness clinic Saturday

Ravens inside linebacker Jameel McClain is holding a free football and fitness clinic Saturday in Reisterstown.

Conducted in association with Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Greater Chesapeake, the session is being held at Reisterstown Regional Park at 401 Mitchell Drive from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is open to boys and girls ages 5 to 17. Lunch and water will be provided.

For more information on registration, go to www.biglittle.org/2013jmccamp or call 410-319-0999.

McClain is a global ambassador for an anti-bullying campaign and was honored last week by the Baltimore chapter of the NAACP for his community activism.

McClain has been taking part in football drills this offseason on a limited basis as he awaits full medical clearance from a spinal cord contusion suffered last December against the Washington Redskins.

McClain has no restrictions on his exercise regimen and reports steady progress in his recovery. Ravens defensive coordinator Dean Pees said that McClain will regain his starting position when he's healthy.

"I'm doing good, I'm doing great," McClain told The Baltimore Sun. "I'm running around full speed, working out, lifting weights with no problems, nothing on my end. I can do everything. Everything is positive on my end."

When asked if he's confident that he'll be able to resume his career after getting hurt last season, McClain replied: "If you don't believe in yourself, who else will? Fortunately, this is a good situation for me. Everything is going the way it should."

Although the injury didn't require surgery, it has prevented McClain from being cleared medically yet with rest and strengthening expected to eventually get him back on the field. The severity and location of the injury initially created doubt about his future.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh is cautiously optimistic about McClain's prospects of regaining his health and getting back on the field, where the defending Super Bowl champions need him at inside linebacker following Ray Lewis' retirement and Dannell Ellerbe signing with the Miami Dolphins during free agency.

"That will be important for him," Harbaugh said this spring. "But it's just the healing process There's a certain type of a bruise that happens that caused his issue, but it's going away, on schedule. We don't know for sure, but I'm approaching it as if Jameel is going to be out there."

awilson@baltsun.com

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