Six finalists named for U.S. Army POY Award
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SAN ANTONIO – The U.S. Army All-American Bowl Selection Committee has narrowed down their nominees to six finalists for the prestigious 2008 U.S. Army Player of the Year Award: Nigel Bradham (Wakulla High School, Crawford, Fla.); Arthur Brown (East High School, Wichita, Kan.); Dayne Crist (Notre Dame High School, Sherman Oaks, Calif.); Patrick Johnson (Blanche Ely High School, Pompano Beach, Fla.); Terrelle Pryor (Jeanette High School, Jeanette, Pa.); and Darrell Scott (St. Bonaventure High School, Ventura, Calif.). The U.S. Army Player of the Year will be crowned during the U.S. Army Awards Dinner on Friday, January 4, 2008, in San Antonio. The winner will be presented with the Ken Hall Trophy, modeled after Ken "Sugar Land Express" Hall, high school football's all-time leading rusher. The U.S. Army Player of the Year award is given to the nation's most outstanding senior in high school football.
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"These players represent the same strengths and values exuded by every U.S. Army Soldier -- including loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage," said Colonel David Lee, Director of Strategic Communications, Marketing and Outreach for the U.S. Army Accessions Command. "They have demonstrated a commitment to excellence on the field and in their daily lives, and we are proud to recognize them as U.S. Army All-American Player of the Year finalists."
Nigel Bradham, according to many experts, is considered one of the nation's most explosive linebackers, complete with great size, speed and strength. Bradham is committed to Florida State University.
According to recruiters nationwide, Arthur Brown is a great read-and-react linebacker with an explosive first step. A highly touted player by schools across the nation, Brown has not yet committed to a college but has narrowed down his choices to Alabama, Florida, LSU, Miami, UNC, Oklahoma, and USC.
One of the top quarterbacks in the nation, Dayne Crist has good size, an extremely strong arm and great running ability. Crist is committed to Notre Dame.
Nigel Bradham LB 6-2/230
"Rangy and physical linebacker excels at covering field and in pass coverage." - Rivals.com recruiting analyst Mike Farrell
"Is tall, fast and pursues the ball extremely well laterally. He has the size and abilty to play all three linebacker spots, plus weakside end." - Rivals.com recruiting analyst Barry Every
Arthur Brown LB 6-1/210/4.4
"Physical backer does his best work at point of attack and loves to hit. Very sure tackler and covers a lot of space." - Farrell
Dayne Crist QB 6-5/228/4.66
"Big, strong armed, mobile and accurate. The total combination for a pro-style offense." - Farrell
"Has the desired height and is very athletic. He reminds me of Tom Brady with his throwing motion, but he is more athletic." – Every
Patrick Johnson CB 6-1/193/4.47
"Great size and hips on a physical cornerback who reads routes and closes on the ball well." - Farrell
"Has the coveted height for a cornerback, and he has unbelievable ball skills to go along with his great back peddling skills." - Every
Terrelle Pryor QB 6-6/235/4.4
"Freak athlete comes along once every five years. Defensive end size, wide receiver speed and running back ability all in a quarterback." - Farrell
"Is so athletic and he is a giant of a man. He is the Michael Jordan of Pennsylvania football, controlling the field with the ability to score at anytime." - Every
Darrell Scott RB 6-0/204/4.4
"Big, upright runner could be the next Adrian Peterson in college football. Speed to get outside, size to move the chains." - Farrell
Patrick Johnson is ranked by many recruiting sites as the top cornerback in the nation and one of the best all-around recruits. Johnson is not committed to date but has narrowed down his college choices to LSU, Miami (FL), Florida, and USC.
Terrelle Pryor, considered an all-around explosive athlete, has great size, quickness, and speed. Recruiters describe him as a "Vince Young" type of quarterback, dangerous in the open field with his ability to run. Pryor is not committed to date but has narrowed down his college choices to Florida, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia.
Running Back Darrell Scott is considered the most complete running back in the class of 2008. He is not committed to date but has narrowed down his college choices to Colorado, Florida, LSU, UNC, Texas, UCLA, and USC.
The selection process began this fall as players were evaluated by the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Selection Committee and by coaches from around the country. Past U.S. Army Player of the Year winners include: Kevin Jones (Detroit Lions) 2001; Lorenzo Booker (Miami Dolphins) 2002; Chris Leak (Florida Gators) 2003; Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings) 2004; Ryan Perrilloux (LSU) 2005; Mitch Mustain (USC) 2006; and Jimmy Clausen (Notre Dame) 2007.
Since its inception, the U.S. Army All-American Bowl has been considered the nation's premier All-American game by high school football players, coaches, and fans from across the country, as it's the preeminent launching pad for America's future college and NFL stars. Reggie Bush, Vince Young, Adrian Peterson and Brady Quinn all made their national debuts as U.S. Army All-Americans. Last year the U.S. Army All-American Bowl set its own attendance record, as 35,151 fans attended the game at the Alamodome. For more information on the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and its related events visit www.usarmyallamericanbowl.com & www.goarmy.com. The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is owned by SportsLink, a New Jersey-based sports marketing and event management company.