Doering, Seeger Receive Army Bowl Invitations

The Scout.com, Army All-American Bowl tour committee was on hand today in Barrington, Illinois to present offensive lineman Dan Doering and athlete Garrett Seeger with invitations to the January High School football all-star game. Chicago Bears defensive tackle and Army All-American Bowl 2001 alum Tommie Harris was also on hand for the presentation.

BARRINGTON, Illinois (October 12, 2004) --- As a result of being two of the top high school football players in the nation, Dan Doering and Garrett Seeger of Barrington, Illinois, have been named 2005 U.S. Army All-Americans. Doering and Seeger will join a stand-out list of athletes playing in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Saturday, January 15, 2005 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. This classic east vs. west match-up will be televised live on NBC at 12:00 p.m. (CST) and will feature the best 78 high school football student-athletes in the country.

“It is a great pleasure to have these fine young men selected to represent their school and community as U.S. Army All-Americans,” said Colonel Thomas Nickerson, Director of Strategic Outreach for the U.S. Army Accessions Command. “They have proven themselves to be superior athletes and I know they will add an exciting dimension to January’s game.

Our slogan, ‘An Army of One,’ recognizes the value of individual talents toward achieving team goals, and their talents make them strong additions to this All-American team, Nickerson added. This game will highlight their skills for a national audience, and the Army is pleased to provide this opportunity to them and all the U.S. Army All-Americans.”

Doering and Seeger are standouts at Barrington High School and were two of 400 players nominated nationally and two of 78 selected to participate by Tom Lemming, a well-respected evaluator of prep football talent and contributor to ESPN Sports and USA Today. Moeaki will play tight end in the game while Richardson will line up at right tackle.

“One of the nation's top two OT prospects, Dan brings just about everything to the recruiting table. He's got tremendous size, long arms, super quick feet, the agility of a 200 pounder, smarts of a QB and the football instincts of an NFL veteran. He runs like a much smaller player and has a tremendous attitude. I've seen every top OL prospect in the country and I have not seen anyone better. Dan and Eugene Monroe rate as the nation's top two OT prospects,” Lemming said.

“A tremendous athlete who plays on a run oriented team can still get the job done with his legs or with his arm. A very tough competitor who can take off and run for the first down when he has to, he's also very dangerous when throwing from the pocket. If Garrett winds up in the right program, I believe we are now talking about a future college standout,” Lemming said.

Doering, the #2 ranked prospect in the Midwest and #27 ranked prospect in America, according to Scout.com had this to say about his selection.

"It's an honor to be recognized as an All-American by Scout.com and the U.S. Army," Doering said.

"I went to the combine last year as a junior and worked toward the goal of being selected as an All-American this year."

As U.S. Army All-Americans, Doering and Seeger also have the potential to be named a finalist for the Ball Park National High School Player of the Year Award honoring the nation’s best prep football player at the 2005 U.S. Army All-American Awards Dinner on January 14, 2005 in San Antonio. The Ken “The Sugarland Express” Hall Trophy, is the equivalent of the high school Heisman Trophy and is named after record setting running back Ken Hall of Sugarland, Texas.

“We’re excited about our sponsorship of such a worthwhile award,” said Deborah Sabo, director of marketing for Ball Park. “This honor rewards the core principles within high school football that we have here at Ball Park – excellence and quality.”

Also given out at the U.S. Army All-American Awards Dinner will be the Myoplex Speed and Strength Athlete of the Year Award. This first-year award will be bestowed upon the nation’s fastest, strongest and most dedicated high school football player. The Trophy presented to the winner will be set in the likeness of NFL great, Walter Payton.

“Speed and strength are the keys to success on the field,” said Heather Fitzgerald, marketing director for Myoplex. “And the keys to developing speed and strength are hard work in the gym and proper nutrition. We’ve helped elite NFL players improve their nutrition for more than a decade. With this award, we hope to show the nation’s top high school football players the role proper nutrition plays in reaching their goals.”

The winning team of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl will receive the Herman Boone Trophy named after the legendary Virginia high school football coach who was immortalized in the Disney feature film, Remember the Titans. Also, the game MVP will receive the Pete Dawkins MVP Trophy named after the 1958 Heisman Trophy winner.