Russell selected to play in U.S. Army All-American Bowl

Mariner running back KeiVarae Russell didn’t have a great night Friday, but his Thursday was OK.

Russell was selected to play in the 2012 U.S. Army All-American Bowl and was honored at an assembly at Mariner H.S. on Thursday. Russell received his jersey at the assembly.

For more, check out the press release below:

U.S. ARMY ALL-AMERICAN BOWL SELECTS TOP RANKED PLAYER

Mariner High School Standout

Running Back KeiVarae Russell Earns Elite Status on 2012 Team

(Wharton, NJ) October 27, 2011 – Kei’Varae Russell of Mariner High School, Everett, WA, has been selected to play in the 2012 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, joining an elite group of All-Americans. Those selected will play in the game on Saturday, January 7, 2012, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The annual East vs. West match-up will be televised live on NBC at 1:00 p.m. EST and will be presented by American Family Insurance. The game will feature the nation’s top 90 high school football players.

“Kei’Varae is a talented athlete whose leadership and teamwork qualities have made him a standout at Mariner High School,” said John Myers, Director of Strategic Communications, Marketing and Outreach, U.S. Army Accessions Command. “Only the strongest wear the Army colors, and Kei’Varae possesses similar mental, emotional and physical strengths to Army Strong Soldiers. We are proud to honor all of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl players and congratulate each of them on their selection.”

Russell was selected by the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Selection Committee, which consists of All American Games’ network of regional directors and Rivals.com. 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 Russell being selected to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, his head coach John Ondriezek is invited to travel to San Antonio and attend the U.S. Army Coaches Academy, an elite three-day learning experience featuring NFL and NCAA coaches, as well as participate in game-week activities.

For more than 11 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, Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow, Ndamukong Suh, Marcus Lattimore, and Andrew Luck all made their national debuts as U.S. Army All-Americans. The 2011 U.S. Army All-American Bowl drew a crowd of nearly 38,000 to the Alamodome, and was the most-watched sporting event on television over the weekend, excluding the NFL playoffs.

The U.S. Army Accessions Command (USAAC), a subordinate command of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, meets the human resource needs of the Army by transforming volunteers into officers, warrant officers, and enlisted Soldiers. In providing the force, the 18,391 men and women of Accessions Command prepare these future Soldiers and leaders for their initial military training. Commanded by Lt. Gen. Benjamin C. Freakley, USAAC is located at Fort Knox, Ky.

The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is owned and produced by All American Games, a New Jersey-based sport 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 Rivals.com, San Antonio Convention &Visitors Bureau, Russell Athletic, adidas, Gatorade, Schutt Sports, NCSA, TapouT, Oakley, NewTek and Football University. National sponsors of the 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 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 www.twitter.com/armyallamerican.