ROCKAWAY, N.J. (November 4, 2015) – John Shannon of Loyola Academy, Wilmette, IL, has been selected to join an elite group of All-Americans for the 2016 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Those selected will play in the annual East vs. West match-up on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The game will be televised live on NBC at 1 p.m. EST and will feature the nation’s top 90 high school football players.
“John has demonstrated versatility and adaptability both on and off the football field,” said Mark S. Davis, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for marketing. “It is these skills – skills we instill in every Army soldier – that have guided our selection of all of the 2016 U.S. Army All-American Bowl players. We are pleased to welcome these talented athletes to this year’s elite team and we congratulate each of them on their selection.”
Shannon was selected by the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Selection Committee, which consists of All American Games, 247Sports and XOS Digital. 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 Shannon being selected for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, his head coach John Holecek is invited to travel to San Antonio to attend the U.S. Army Coaches Academy, an elite three-day learning experience, and participate in Bowl Week activities.
“As the official champion of Dreams, American Family is honored to salute these student athletes as they work hard to pursue their dreams with the encouragement of family, coaches, friends, and the their communities. These student athletes embody what American Family Insurance stands for – hard work, inspiration, dedication and committed support from those around them, make any dream achieved possible.”
For 16 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. Andrew Luck, Odell Beckham Jr. and Jamaal Charles made their national debuts as U.S. Army All-Americans, and a total of five U.S. Army All-American Bowl alumni were drafted in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. The 2015 U.S. Army All-American Bowl drew a crowd of 35,687 to the Alamodome.
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, Gatorade, San Antonio Visitors Bureau, 247Sports, XOS Digital, NCSA, Lockheed Martin, Xenith, Battle Sports Science, NewTek and Football University.
National sponsors of the U.S. Army All-American Marching Band include: The National Association for Music Education, Drum Corps International, Jupiter Band Instruments, Mapex Marching Percussion, Majestic Concert Percussion and DeMoulin Uniforms.
For more information on the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and its related events visit www.usarmyallamericanbowl.com and www.goarmy.com/events/aab or the official Facebook and Twitter pages located at http://www.facebook.com/USArmyAllAmericanBowl and https://twitter.com/ArmyAllAmerican