(Wharton, NJ) October 25, 2011 – Justin Shanks of Prattville High School, Prattville, AL, 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.
“Justin is a talented athlete whose leadership and teamwork qualities have made him a standout at Prattville 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 Justin 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.”
The 6-foot-4, 320-pounder bolsters an impressive roster for the U.S. Army All-American contest. Shanks is currently rated as the #10 defensive tackle in the country by Scout.com, making him a four-star prospect.
Shanks is committed to play his college ball at Florida State, but is still thinking about other schools like Alabama, Auburn, Texas A&M, and USC.
Scout Eval: "Shanks is an interior defensive lineman who can contribute early in college. He is physically ready, he plays for a great high school program and he is very driven on the field. expect him to be a force in the middle at FSU. He'll not only be solid against the run, but he can help collapse the pocket up the middle versus the pass as well. " - Chad Simmons
(From left to right) U.S. Army Major Joel Jackson, U.S. Army Captain Jones, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Sean Cox, Justin Shanks, U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Howell
