2007 Bowl (January 04)

O-D All American Bowl Showcased Best in High School Football

Bowl players share thoughts on how Plymouth athletes can live dream as well

by Robert Howes, Correspondent

On January 4^th, the inaugural Offense-Defense All American Bowl was played at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and broadcast on ESPNU before a prime time nationwide television audience. It was the East versus the West, with each team made up of 40 of the best high school seniors from across the nation as determined by Rivals.Com, a leader in the recruiting/sports polling industry. The other big high school All American Bowl is the U.S. Army All-American Bowl played at the Alamo dome in San Antonio. Vince Young and Reggie Bush, among others, have played in this game. Many of the players in the Offense-Defense Bowl declined invitations to play in that game so they could play in the O-D Bowl.

Before I go further, I will address the question that many Plymouth residents might have and that is why is this game being reported in Plymouth? Offense-Defense Football Camp (in business for four decades), the Bowl organizer, has for the past several years been attended by a host of football players from the Jaguar Football Program. More importantly, as a game photographer and photographer of the week-long events leading up to the game, I had a chance to get to know these truly gifted athletes and used the opportunity to find out a little about what it took for them to attain this incredible level so that I could share their thoughts with the promising young athletes from Plymouth. This report is meant to further inspire local athletes to strive to reach the top and to offer first hand insights into what they can do maximize the likelihood of their reaching the top of their chosen sport.

Many of us have been fortunate to listen to professional sports players tell how they earned their coveted jobs. But for young players to hear it from other young sports leaders, there may be a better connection and more effective conveyance of the all- important steps that emerging athletes must take to live what many will only dream about.

What type of dream are these players living? The players selected to play in the Offense-Defense All American Bowl were, at no cost to them, flown to Fort Lauderdale, put up at the Marriott, fed incredible buffets including a barbecue on the beach, transported to beautifully maintained practice fields (West on one field, East on another) via luxury coaches, provided top of the line equipment and uniforms, coached by top high school coaches (supported by retired NFL players) including Hoover High’s Coach Propst featured on MTV’s Two a Day reality show. During the week the players were often interviewed by the press. They played football on the national stage.

Most of these players have committed to full scholarships at division one schools such as Notre Dame, Ohio State, Auburn, Florida State, USC, Alabama, etc. Some of the players verbalized their commitments to these schools for the first time during half time on national television. Those not committed are still making their decisions while being pursued by D1 colleges. Many of these top ranked players are already be scouted by the NFL and will go on to the pros.

It occurred to me on so many occasions just how lucky these players are. What also often struck me during the week is that based on my familiarity of the football players and athletes from other sports in Plymouth, that there is no reason why any of the Plymouth players who put their mind to it cannot live that same dream. I decided to interview a few of the players and told them that I wanted to share with the players from Plymouth their thoughts on what it took for them to become All Americans, to reach the heights that they have. Following is what I learned.

Enrique Davis: Running back (scored first TD in O-D Bowl) from Mosley High (Panama City, Florida) headed to play for the Auburn Tigers. Ranked the nation's number two back by Rivals.com, Davis was All County in his junior season. For his senior season performance, he was selected as the Offense-Defense Running Back of the Year, was All State, All American, County MVP with the most rushing yards. Davis’ suggestions: “Hard work and dedication. Believe in God. Stay in the weight room. Be the guy that wants to be faster. Set goals. Work hard in the classroom. (He shared a story about his friend who is a great player sought after by many top college programs, but poor grades have significantly restricted his choices). Push others. If you want your team to go far, be a leader showing it on the field and off. It is not always about you. It is the whole team. QB and backs need the line. My goals: Be better than I am now. Earn awards in college and Play in the NFL and be the best in the NFL”

Golden Tate: Wide receiver/running back out of Hendersonville, Tennessee. Senior year stats: 140 carries for 1,413 yards, 23 TDs, 28 pass receptions for 510 yards and 6 TDS. Second team All American USA Today, All County Player of the Year, Mr. Football two years in a row and ranked number one in state. Tate is headed to Notre Dame. Here are some of his thoughts: “Some of it is God given talent. Some of it is work ethic. You have to work hard every day. Stay humble not full of yourself. Lead on and off the field. One person messes up and it reflects on everyone. Respect everybody. Be a team player. My school teaches us to have great character. What got me here: My character; I am blessed; and my work ethic.”

Jordan Campbell: Inside linebacker from Norco High, Norco, California who was all over the field all game long with a game high seven tackles and a pass breakup in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl. Campbell collected 137 tackles in his junior year, 160 in his senior year, 76 of these were for a loss. He was back to back All State Team and his team was state champions two years in a row. Campbell who is headed to the University of Southern Cal Trojans had this to say: “Make sure they stay in youth sports. All sports help with feet, hands, and eye coordination and they each help you to keep out of trouble. Be confident in what you are doing. Grades - no one wants a player who cannot think. You need good grades to reach the next level. Set goals monthly, forty yard sprint time, for example, and have goals in life that you can achieve so that you are on track. His goals: Be a successful person in life. Take advantage of the opportunity at USC (1 of only 16 kids from across the country picked up by USC), play for the San Diego Chargers which is not too far from my parents.”

Chad Jones: Free safety out of Southern Baton Rouge, LA, had five tackles in the Offense-Defense game. He received 41 scholarship offers including those from LSU, Clemson, Ole Miss, Miami, Florida, Florida State, Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Hawaii, Memphis, UCLA, and TCU in both football and baseball (63rd in world college baseball rankings). He is expected to be drafted to major league baseball early in the second round to middle of the first and will have to make a decision whether to put college off. However, he has committed to LSU. In his junior year, Chad batted .537 with 9 HR's. On the gridiron, Jones had 102 tackles (81 solos), 4 interceptions (brought back 2 for TD's), and 12 pass breakups. Here is the advice offered by Chad: “Do not let people tell you that you cannot do something you want to do, that you are too small, too light. Believe in your decision. People told me to do baseball only. Stay in the classroom. Some people are football players but not students. You need to be both.”

Stephen Garcia: Dual threat QB out of Tampa, Florida headed to South Carolina. Junior stats: 700 yards rushing for 8 TDs, passed for 2,808 yards for 28 TDs. Garcia will graduate with Hillsborough County’s all-time yardage and touchdown records. His team won the O-D Bowl and he scored one TD in the game. I talked to Garcia immediately after the game for a few minutes and he too talked about the need for grades, hard work, and commitment 24/7. “You have to pay the price.” The quote that he follows: “Men do not follow titles. They follow courage.”

Josh Dwaraczyk: Offensive tackle from New Ibernia, LA. He has committed to LSU. One day during lunch I handed Josh a couple pieces of scrap paper and asked if he would jot down some thoughts for others who would like to reach the level he is at: “It starts with hard work. Be first on the field. Be last off the field. You have to live in the weight room. You have to sleep in the film study. From the start of the high school career, you have to have a good attitude and be coachable. The first tip would be to go to as many summer camps as possible. It helps to sell yourself and get exposure. Good grades are important.”

In closing, do not let what happens to so many of us happen to you. So many adults, including myself, look back and wish they had done more with the sports opportunities that you young athletes are lucky enough to still have before you today. You are at a critical point in your lives with a once in a lifetime chance to fully pursue the opportunity to live your sports dreams. Take to heart what the above mentioned standout athletes have shared and hopefully, soon one of our own, perhaps you, from Plymouth will be playing in the O-D All American Bowl on national television, headed to a top college on a full scholarship, and perhaps even to the pros. You more than anyone have the power to ensure it. Good luck.