On January 5, 2008, the U.S. Army All-American Bowl once again featured tomorrow's college and NFL stars in a classic East vs. West match-up at San Antonio's Alamodome. Through the All-American Bowl, the U.S. Army is helping to shape these future leaders by providing a national forum for these student-athletes to showcase their extraordinary talents. This year, for the first time ever, 91 U.S. Army All-American Marching Band musicians joined them by performing at half time.
A U.S. Army All-American selection is an important honor for these athletes and musicians. These young Americans truly embody the characteristics of an Army Strong Soldier—demonstrating Strength through Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage on a daily basis. Through "Leadership and Teamwork in Action," the U.S. Army All-American Bowl provides opportunities for these young adults to further develop their own strengths that will help them become future leaders. Through the Bowl Week activities, each athlete and musician will spend time with Soldier Heroes from around the country to gain a better understanding of what it means to be an Army Strong Soldier.
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is already rich in tradition and history as it features the nation's top high school football players, many of whom have gone on to be college and NFL stars, including current NFL stars Reggie Bush, Vince Young and Adrian Peterson. This brings the total of NFL players produced in the Bowl's seven year history to a staggering 63. With the number of elite athletes climbing every year, this year's bowl game turned out to be the most entertaining to date.