Odell Beckham '11 Selected for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl

[FULL STORY]

Newman Senior Odell Beckham Selected for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl

 

Representatives from the U. S. Army made a special appearance during Isidore Newman School’s upper school assembly to announce that it had selected Odell Beckham (Class of 2011) to play in the All-American Bowl. Staff Sergeant Jerimy Spears and Master of Ceremonies Dulane Hale announced the selection to Beckham and the School in front of the entire upper school student body and faculty in Newman’s Cotonio Palaestra. Beckham was joined by his parents, Odell Beckham, Sr. and Heather Van Norman, and Football Coach Nelson Stewart for the ceremony. U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Kam Gunther and Master Sergeant Thomas Lewis of Tulane’s ROTC program were also in attendance.

 

Selection as a U.S. Army All-American is a high honor and gives the best high-school players national recognition for their talents. From the million high school football players nationwide, the Army nominates 400 as All-American contenders. From these, just 90 are selected to play in the All-American Bowl. The All-American Bowl has helped launch NFL careers of such football stars as Reggie Bush, Vince Young, Tim Tebow, and Michael Oher.

 

This the first time in the history of the School that a Newman athlete has been named a U.S. Army All-American. When asked what this selection meant for Beckham and the School, Athletic Director Billy Fitzgerald said, “This is a singular honor, and it is a tribute to Odell’s work and his athleticism. We’ve had some spectacular players at Newman, but we have never had one selected for this honor until now. We are excited and happy for Odell because he is the first, and we are proud of his accomplishment.”

 

Football Coach Stewart is similarly proud of Beckham’s selection.”It is an amazing honor for both Odell and the School,” he said. “This is one of the top games in the country, and it says a great deal about his talent, his work ethic, and his performance. I am obviously very proud of him, and his family. He has worked very hard to get where he is as an athlete.”

 

Of the 90 players selected nationwide, Beckham will join them in San Antonio’s Alamodome for the All-American Bowl in January. The game will be nationally televised, and any fans interested in watching the game can watch it on NBC on Saturday, January 8, 2011 at 12:00 p.m., CST.

 

For more information about Odell Beckham and Newman Football, please contact Nelson Stewart at nstewart@newmanschool.org.

 

To download the complete press release click on the following link:

 

Isidore Newman School's Odell Beckham Selected for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl