Like father, like son.
This takes on greater meaning for Team USA linebacker Mike Hull and Jake Alexander, a Team USA center. Hull's father, Tom, played professional football for two years with the San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers in the 1970s, and Alexander's father, David, suited up for eight NFL seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles before finishing his career with the New York Jets.
After all the success their fathers had on the football field, Hull and Alexander have followed suit and are now seeing some of their own. Both have committed to play at the collegiate level - Hull will attend Penn State while Alexander will play for Tulsa - and both are also poised to help lead USA Football's 2010 Junior National Team to victory in the "Team USA vs. The World" game, presented by Riddell on Jan. 30 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
"It made me feel good to know the coaches thought that I was a good enough kid - and a disciplined kid - to be selected to this team and represent my country," said Hull, who is listed at 6-foot-1 and weighs in at 215 pounds. "Not a lot of people get this opportunity and it's just special."
Hull was pleased with how practices have gone and said it was exciting to be back on the field working hard. He recognized the size and athleticism of Team USA's players and expects Saturday's matchup to be a pretty competitive one.
Alexander echoed Hull's sentiments saying he is impressed with Team USA's coaches and feels confident in their ability to put together a winning strategy.
"All the coaches have been coaching for a long time, and they're really good coaches," said Alexander, whose fondest football memory is breaking the Oklahoma 6A team scoring record. "They'll definitely put together a good team and a good scheme.
"The players are all great players, and the plan is to alternate every series for different guys. Everyone's getting along really well and it's a good experience."
Just as the game of football has been for Alexander ever since he can remember.
"Growing up, football was pretty much everything," he said. "I didn't play soccer - I played football. My dad has taught me everything I know about football and being a person, so he means a lot to me."
Alexander lines up at the same position that his father once did, who also played his college ball at Tulsa. The elder Alexander won't be able to attend the international competition in South Florida, but his son has kept him in the know through frequent text messages following practices and workouts. Football has created a bond between the two that Alexander said has allowed him to grow as an athlete.
"Technique wise, he taught me everything from hand placement, just kind of being smart before the play," he said. "He taught me how to read their stances and figure out what they're going to do and about just being a smart football player."
Hull said his father has also been there every step of the way in his development as a football player, offering insight and advice on how to work hard day in and day out, reading the line of scrimmage and knowing a player's tendencies. He'll have his father's support on Saturday, as he and his mother will be in the stands of historic Lockhart Stadium for the noon ET kickoff.
"My dad has taught me a lot about football, and he thought it was fantastic that I got selected to play in this game," Hull said. "He loves watching me play, so I'm sure he'll love the experience and enjoy the trip down here."
