U.S. National Team and International Bowl Notebook
Steve Alic, Director of Communications Tue, 01/31/2012 - 12:46pm
In Texas, if someone is said to be, “all hat, no cattle,” it means they’re all talk and lack substance or ability.
Malcom Brown’s hat fits a finger puppet. He has more cattle than Eckrich.
The 6-foot-2, 280-pound U.S. Under-19 National Team defensive tackle and University of Texas commit from Brenham, Texas, possesses skills that transform the most rudimentary defensive line drill into a July 4th pyrotechnic extravaganza – with synchronized music.
He will start at nose guard for the U.S. on Wednesday in the 2012 International Bowl in Austin, Texas.
“Malcom is just an overall beast,” said U.S. National Team offensive tackle Caleb Stacey, a Cincinnati commit. He and his offensive linemates have faced Brown in five practices. “He’s just so physical and so strong. You’d think that since he’s so big, he wouldn’t be very quick.
“He’s just unbelievable.”
U.S. guard Joe Harris, who will play for South Carolina next fall, also has been impressed by his teammate across the line of scrimmage.
“Malcom Brown is a wonderful athlete, a tremendous football player,” Harris said. “He’s fast off the ball, he has quick hands ... Malcom Brown is an athlete who I consider to be great.
“You don’t come across a lot of athletes, especially at D-tackle who are smart and quick and use his hands like he does. A lot of D-tackles, they either bull rush or get outside, but Malcom Brown – he thinks. He uses everything he’s taught.”
CAPTAINS AMERICA U.S. National Team center Boone Feldt of Buda (Texas) Hays High School and a University of North Texas commit, is one of four American players named a team captain by a coaches vote. The team’s three other captains: quarterback Sean Maguire of Florida State/West Orange (N.J.) Seton Hall Prep; linebacker Noor Davis of Stanford/Leesburg (Fla.) High School, and defensive end Caleb Bluiett of Texas/Beaumont (Texas) West Brook Senior High School.
Running back Imani Cross of Nebraska/Gainesville (Ga.) North Hall High School will serve as the U.S. team’s flag bearer when entering the field at the Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex in Austin on Wednesday night. Cross’ father is a former U.S. Army sergeant.
CENTER OF ATTENTION Regarding the aforementioned Malcom Brown, the man assigned to block him Wednesday is 6-4, 330-pound IFAF World Team center Charles Vaillancourt of Champlain College near Montreal.
Vaillancourt is an accomplished college center in Canada and is heavier than any American lineman by 30 pounds.
THIS COACH, NO PUMPKIN Stacey, the U.S. offensive tackle, attends Oak Hills High School near Cincinnati. Outside of scrimmages, he has never played against a Steve Specht-coached team but is savoring playing for the Cincinnati St. Xavier head coach as a member of Team USA.
“It’s fantastic,” Stacey said of playing for Specht, twice an Ohio large-school division state champion. “It’s awesome. It’s one of the best experiences of my life. He’s a winner, but he’s also a good guy who teaches life, not just football.
“It’s an honor to play for him, it truly is.”
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE U.S. National Team defensive line coach Kirk Heidelberg of Rockford (Ill.) Christian School coached for approximately 10 years in Germany’s top pro football league in the 1990s and 2000s. He knows how the World Team craves for a victory over the United States in our nation’s favorite sport.
“During our orientation meeting (on Jan. 27), I stood up and told the team how important it is for the World Team players to compete and try to beat us at our game,” Heidelberg said. “I’ll remind the players – they’re going to be big, they’re going to be physical, and we’ll have to come ready to play.”
