Devante Downs: Selected to play in the 2014 US Army All American Bowl
Scouts are keeping a close eye on him. Colleges are constantly offering scholarships to him. MTHS junior running back Devante Downs has been nominated and chosen to play in the 2014 US Army All American Bowl, the nation’s premier high school football game. This event features the best 90 players in a classic East vs. West match-up every January in San Antonio’s Alamodome and broadcast live on NBC. The next Bowl game will take place on January 4, 2014 at 1pm ET.
Downs has been playing football since the fourth grade. Besides football, he has participated in other sports, such as: basketball, baseball, and track and field. He played baseball from second to fifth grade, track and field during his eighth, 9th, and 11th grade, and basketball from second to 10th grade. He has stopped playing basketball to focus on his football career.
Downs has started his training and to prepare for the Bowl, he does team weightlifting three times a week and meets with two personal trainers.
“I do running stuff, work on speed and explosiveness,” Downs said.
By participating in the Bowl, Downs expects, “A lot more exposure for the players in our school that are going to be remaining here after I graduate. It will be a new opportunity for someone to have spotlight on them, which would bring more attention to other players on our team, which would give them more college opportunities as well.”
Due to his accomplishments, Downs has received several offers from colleges, such as: University of Washington, Stanford University, UC Berkeley, University of Utah, Oregon State University, Boise State University, Vanderbilt University, Arizona State University, Washington State University, Colorado State University, and Utah State University. Downs has not yet committed to any college.
He said that he sees himself “either being a pharmacist or playing in the NFL. One of those two.”
“(Football) allowed me to see what type of people to hang out with. So you don’t go to the wrong crowd, and go with people that have similar interests so they can only bring you up, and can’t bring you down,” Downs said.
He said that his coaches, teammates, and other people has helped him along the way.
When asked about his teammates’ response on his recent accomplishment, Downs states, “They’re happy for me and they’re happy that if I’m getting exposure, it means that they’re getting exposure too. Exposure that they wouldn’t have gotten had someone else not offered this to me.”
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl lists Heisman Trophy winners and more than 200 NFL players among its alumni.
