A Pair of Gold Jackets to Serve as Coaches for U.S. Army All-American Bowl

Hall of Famers Published on : 12/23/2014
Two Pro Football Hall of Fame Gold Jackets (living Pro Football Hall of Famers), Marcus Allen and Rod Woodson, will roam the sidelines of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. The Hall of Famers have been selected as honorary coaches for the game, which features the country’s finest high school players. The U.S. Army All-American Bowl will be played at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas and aired live by NBC on Saturday, Jan. 3 at 1 p.m. ET.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame and the U.S. Army recently announced an expansion of their partnership for the national Award of Excellence. Now in its third year, the program has been expanded to include 20 outstanding high school student athletes who will be chosen as finalists based on their excellence in academics, athletics and community service.
 
Allen earned All-American, All-County and Player of the Year honors during his high school years at Lincoln High School in San Diego, Calif. He starred at quarterback and defensive back and also earned letters in basketball and track. He then attended the University of Southern California where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1981.

A member of the Hall’s Class of 2003, he starred for the Los Angeles Raiders (1982-1992) and Kansas City Chiefs (1993-1997). Allen, a first round pick of the Raiders, was named the NFL’s Rookie of the Year. He later became the first player in National Football League history to rush for 10,000 yards and amass more than 5,000 receiving yards. Allen was the NFL’s MVP in 1985, the MVP of Super Bowl XVIII and a six-time Pro Bowler.

"I couldn't be more excited to work with this elite group of athletes,” Woodson shared. “This game is something that has always been very special to me, and I am honored to be given the opportunity."

Woodson was a Parade and Blue Chip All-American and an all-state pick at Snider High School in Fort Wayne, Ind., before embarking on a successful collegiate career at Purdue.

He was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009 after a stellar career with the Pittsburgh Steelers (1987-1996), San Francisco 49ers (1997), Baltimore Ravens (1998-2001) and Oakland Raiders (2002-2003). A member of the NFL’s 75th Anniversary Team, NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1990s, he earned All-Pro honors as a cornerback, safety and kicker returner.

The U.S. Army All-American Bowl has long served as a platform to launch the careers of future college and NFL stars. Some of the game’s past stars include current NFL players such as Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles and cornerback Patrick Peterson of the Arizona Cardinals.