Solomon Thomas of Coppell High School, Coppell, Texas, has been selected to play in the 2014 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, joining an elite group of All-Americans. Those selected will play in the game on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2014, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The annual East vs. West match-up will be televised live on NBC at 1 p.m. EST and will feature the nation’s top 90 high school football players.
“Solomon is a talented athlete whose leadership and teamwork qualities have made him a standout at Coppell High School,” said Mark Davis, deputy assistant Secretary of the Army for Marketing. “Only the strongest wear the Army colors, and we are proud to welcome all of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl players and commend each of them on their selection.”
Thomas was selected by the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Selection Committee, which consists of All American Games and 247Sports. U.S. Army All-Americans are eligible for the U.S. Army Player of the Year Award, the Anthony Muñoz Lineman of the Year Award, the American Family Insurance Defensive Player of the Year Award, the Pete Dawkins Game MVP Award and the Felix “Doc” Blanchard and Glenn Davis Awards.
As a result of Thomas being selected to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, his head coach Joe McBride is invited to travel to San Antonio and attend the U.S. Army Coaches Academy, an elite three-day learning experience, including Bowl Week activities.
For more than 13 years, the U.S. Army All-American Bowl has been the nation’s premier high school football game, serving as the preeminent launching pad for America’s future college and NFL stars. Adrian Peterson and Andrew Luck made their national debuts as U.S. Army All-Americans. In the 2013 NFL Draft, there were a total of eight U.S. Army All-American Bowl Alumni drafted in the first round. The 2013 U.S. Army All-American Bowl drew a crowd of 40,133 to the Alamodome and was the most-watched sporting event on television over the weekend, excluding the NFL playoffs.
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is owned and produced by All American Games, a New Jersey-based sports marketing and event management company. The U.S. Army is the title sponsor of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, and American Family Insurance is the lead national sponsor and presenting sponsor of the telecast on NBC. Other national sponsors include adidas, 247Sports, San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau, Gatorade, SKLZ, NCSA, School of the Legends, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Lockheed Martin, Xenith, Battle Sports Science, Oakley, NewTek and Football University. National sponsors of the U.S. Army All-American Marching Band include NAfME: The National Association for Music Education, Drum Corps International, Jupiter Band Instruments and DeMoulin Uniforms.
For more information on the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and its related events, click here or here, or the official Facebook and Twitter pages.
Story and photos courtesy of Lisa Wendling