Turner, Jackson To Play In A-A Game

As a result of being one of the top high school football players in the nation, Patrick Turner of Madison, Tennessee and Leon Jackson of Pasco, Washington has been named a 2005 U.S. Army All-American. Jackson 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.

“It is a great pleasure to have this fine young man selected to represent his school and community as a U.S. Army All-American,” said Colonel Thomas Nickerson, Director of Strategic Outreach for the U.S. Army Accessions Command of Patrick Turner. “He has proven himself to be a superior athlete and I know he 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 his talents make him a strong addition to this All-American team, Nickerson added. This game will highlight his skills for a national audience, and the Army is pleased to provide this opportunity to him and all the U.S. Army All-Americans.”

Turner is a standout wide receiver at Goodpasture Christian School and was one of 400 players nominated nationally and one of 78 selected to participate by the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Selection Team made up of representatives of Scout.com, the web’s largest independent sports network, and Tom Lemming of ESPN Sports and USA Today.

“Patrick Turner is a big, physical wide receiver that is fluid in adjusting in his routes and uses his size to his maximum advantage. At 6-5 he can meet the ball at his highest point before a defensive back even has a chance. He can go low or high for a catch, and he is also a tremendous blocker. When one looks around the league, the trend is for bigger receivers, and Patrick Turner exemplifies that trend,” said Scott Kenedy, South Analyst for Scout.com.

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“It is a great pleasure to have this fine young man selected to represent his school and community as a U.S. Army All-American,” said Colonel Thomas Nickerson, Director of Strategic Outreach for the U.S. Army Accessions Command, of Leon Jackson (left). “He has proven himself to be a superior athlete and I know he 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 his talents make him a strong addition to this All-American team, Nickerson added. This game will highlight his skills for a national audience, and the Army is pleased to provide this opportunity to him and all the U.S. Army All-Americans.”

Jackson is a standout defensive back at Pasco High School and was one of 400 players nominated nationally and one of 78 selected to participate by the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Selection Team made up of representatives of Scout.com, the web’s largest independent sports network, and Tom Lemming of ESPN Sports and USA Today.

“The first thing that you immediately see when watching Leon is his speed. His ability to create instant separation once past the line of scrimmage is downright scary. There are a lot of very good running backs in America that just don't have that 'top gear' in the open field. That's not a problem for Leon. The other thing that jumps out at you is just how big he is. It's a rare day to find a football player over 200 pounds with his straight-ahead burst in high school. Usually you'd have to jump all the way to the NFL to find that kind of athleticism,” said Chris Fetters, West Analyst for Scout.com.

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As U.S. Army All-Americans, Turner and Jackson also havethe potential to be named finalisst 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.