Where Are They Now? Former SHS Student Athletes: Chapter 3

Cameron Green talks about how high school and college set him up for success, his football experiences in both

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Northwestern University’s role of superback isn’t what it sounds like. There’s no running back wearing the iconic red cape with the gold S, much less the tight fitting blue suit. Instead, the superback is forced to block blitzing linebackers as a fullback, and then on the very next play, run a route at tight end and avoid being hit by the same linebacker. For Cameron Green, playing such a versatile position was nothing new. After all, he played four years of it in high school. 

While a star wide receiver, defensive back, punt returner and kick returner at Stevenson, Green received interest from a variety of Division I colleges such Iowa, Illinois, Cincinnati and Boston College, but ultimately chose Northwestern out of consideration for both his family and future. 

“What really made me make the decision was knowing how comfortable it would make my family, especially my mom, knowing I was at a university that wouldn’t just take care of me the four years I was there, but the forty years after when you’re working,” Green said. “Northwestern definitely has a lot of potential to set people up for success.”

Playing three seasons at Northwestern, Green got the opportunity to play in both NFL arenas and MLB fields. Throughout the whole process, he was learning to connect with his new teammates, something he greatly values.

“The one thing that was very different was the sense of community when it comes to playing at Stevenson versus Northwestern,” Green said. “The northern suburbs are one thing, but when you have guys that are from Pennsylvania, Texas, California, Kansas City, St. Louis, all over the place, it’s very different just learning about their backgrounds, where they come from, their mannerisms and how they act.” 

Green said that in high school he had grown up with most of his teammates and they all shared the same dream of playing for Stevenson. Some of his best memories weren’t necessarily on the field, but rather in the locker room with players of the 2015 class such as Jack Joseph, Patrick O’Connell, James Mahoney, Kevin Pearson and Jeremy Webb. 

After graduating Northwestern, Green now works as a financial advisor for Summit Trail Advisors in Chicago. According to Green, he chose this job for the unique opportunity it posed. 

“I have the opportunity to work with some professional athletes and their wealth management, which is wonderful, but overall it is something that goes overlooked when it comes to athletes and their families,” Green said. “I think that there is a very large gap to fill when it comes to not only taking the wealth that they created for themselves and their families, but also being able to make that wealth last a much longer period of time.” 

Even though Green retired from football after his junior season at Northwestern, he still stays connected with the game by returning to his old stomping grounds and coaching his fellow cornerbacks. According to Green, his return to Stevenson as an assistant coach was forged by a sense of responsibility. 

“The reason that I came back was knowing that there was so much knowledge that was given to me from high school and then onto college about football and I feel as though it is my duty to share that knowledge with people that helped me get where I’m today,” Green said. “Most of the staff that is currently coaching at Stevenson was my coaching staff, so it almost wouldn’t feel right if I wasn’t able to do the same for the community and  the guys on the team right now, and hopefully giving them the same sort of experience that I’ve gotten.”