USAfootball

Players for U.S. Under-19 National Team in football arrive in Austin, Texas, for 2012 International Bowl

Fifty (50) of the top U.S. high school football players landed in Austin, Texas, today as they begin preparation for the third-annual International Bowl^®.

The U.S. Under-19 National Team, comprised of the top high school players spanning 19 states, will compete Feb. 1 – National Signing Day – at Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex in Austin. The Americanswill face an IFAF World Team of top players age 19-and-under from outside the United States. More information can be found at www.InternationalBowl2012.com.

The International Bowl is sanctioned by International Federation of American Football, which is composed of more than 60 nations spanning six continents that possess a national federation dedicated solely to American football.

The first U.S. practice is 9:30 a.m. CT Saturday, Jan. 28, at Austin Westlake High School. Practices continue Sunday, Monday and Tuesday at the Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex, along with film sessions, meetings and team outings. A Welcome Dinner on Saturday night brings both rosters and coaching staffs together for the first time as participants join with event organizers and Austin officials.

U.S. National team players will sign national letters of intent at 8:30 a.m. CT on Feb. 1 during the National Signing Day Breakfast at the Austin Marriott South (4415 South IH 35, Austin). In signing their letters of intent, the U.S. players will join 29 Football Bowl Subdivision college programs spanning nine conferences, including the Big Ten, SEC, Big 12, Pac-12 and ACC.

The 5 p.m. CT kickoff will be carried live in high definition on CBS Sports Network as well as broadcast on the American Forces Network for U.S. service men and women deployed overseas and on U.S. Navy ships. A webcast of the game will be available starting Feb. 4 at www.usafootball.com/internationalbowl.

Team USA is led by STEVE SPECHT, head coach of Cincinnati St. Xavier High School. Specht led St. Xavier to Ohio Division I (largest school division) state titles in 2005 and 2007. He is 80-20 (.800) since becoming the head coach at his high school alma mater following the 2003 season.

A national team exemption granted by the NCAA allows high school seniors to play for USA Football and not have their participation count as one of their two permitted all-star game appearances. The International Bowl is recognized as a national team competition.

In addition to their exceptional high school football achievements, many Team USA players earned roster spots by virtue of their strong display of skills at the U.S. Under-19 National Team Trials in Marietta, Ga., in May. Nearly 200 high school football players from 32 states competed for a Team USA roster spot at the National Team Trials.

USA Football is the sport’s national governing body in the United States and is the official youth football development partner of the NFL and each of its 32 teams.

GREG MARSHALLof the University of Western Ontario in Canada is the IFAF World Team’s head coach. The IFAF World Team’s 13-member coaching staff hails from 10 IFAF member federations: American Samoa, Australia, Austria, Canada, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico and Sweden.

The U.S. Under-19 team defeated The World, 21-14, in February 2011 in Austin, Texas, as well as 17-0, in January 2010 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The U.S. also won the gold medal at the IFAF Under-19 World Championship in Canton, Ohio, during the summer of 2009.

U.S. Under-19 National Team roster:

U.S. Under-19 National Team coaching staff:

USA Football’s national team program is supported by corporate partners Marriott, Riddell, Sports Authority, Rawlings, Gatorade, Upper Deck, Shock Doctor, St.Vincent Sports Performance, Cutters Gloves and American Family Insurance.

About USA Football: USA Football, the sport’s national governing body in the United States, hosts more than 80 football skill development events annually for coaches, players, game officials and youth league commissioners. Indianapolis-based USA Football is the official football development partner of the NFL and its 32 teams and the Atlantic Coast Conference. USA Football manages U.S. national teams within the sport for international competition and awards $1 million annually in equipment grants to youth and high school football programs based on merit and need. Endowed by the NFL and the NFL Players Association in 2002 through the NFL Youth Football Fund, USA Football is chaired by former NFL team executive Carl Peterson.