Wharton, N.J.) Sept. 27, 2012 – Justin Manning of Justin F. Kimball High School, Dallas, TX, has been selected to play in the 2013 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, joining an elite group of All-Americans. Those selected will play in the game on Saturday, January 5, 2013, 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 feature the nation’s top 90 high school football players.
The 6-foot-2, 275-pounder bolsters an impressive roster for the U.S. Army All-American contest. Manning is currently rated as the No. 5 defensive tackle in the country by Scout.com, making him a five-star prospect.
Manning is still trying to decide between schools like LSU, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, TCU and USC -- all have offered.
Scout Eval - A muscular and well-built defensive lineman. He looks more like a NFL middle linebacker than an interior lineman. He is extremely quick off the ball and that allows him to make an abundance of plays behind the line of scrimmage. He is not the 300 pound mammoth, but is plenty strong and athletic. He will flat out get after the quarterback and has the agility and foot speed that allows him to close on ball carriers. Hard to contain.
“Justin is a talented athlete whose leadership and teamwork qualities have made him a standout at Randolph High School,” said John Myers, Director of Marketing, Army Marketing and Research Group. “Only the strongest wear the Army colors, and Justin possesses mental, emotional and physical strengths similar to the Army Strong Soldier, that have afforded him that honor. We are proud to welcome all of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl players and commend each of them on their selection.”
Manning was selected by the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Selection Committee.
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.
For more than a decade, 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, Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow, Ndamukong Suh, and Marcus Lattimore all made their national debuts as U.S. Army All-Americans. In the 2012 NFL Draft Andrew Luck became the first U.S. Army All-American Bowl alumnus to be selected with the first overall pick. The 2012 U.S. Army All-American Bowl drew a record crowd of 39,011 to the Alamodome, and was the most-watched sporting event on television over the weekend, excluding the NFL playoffs.
