Cheshire Academy’s Tarik Black Selected to Play in U.S. Army All-American Bowl

CHESHIRE, CT — Cheshire Academy’s Tarik Black, of Hamden, has been selected to join an elite class as a 2017 U.S. Army All-American and will play in the 17th edition of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Black is the first player from Connecticut selected to participate in the prestigious game since 2009, according to GameTimeCT.

Black will play in the annual East vs. West matchup on Saturday, January 7, 2017 in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

The Bowl will be nationally televised live on NBC and will feature the nation’s top 100 high school football players.

Black, a wide receiver, is the rated as the No. 1 high school player in the state, according to 247Sports.

The Bowl consistently draws an annual crowd upwards of 40,000 to the Alamodome and is the most-watched high school sporting event of each year, with 4.3-million viewers tuning in to the 2016 NBC broadcast.

“Like U.S. Army soldiers, these players have demonstrated leadership, adaptability, discipline and teamwork,” Mark S. Davis, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for marketing, said in a press release. “Black has demonstrated that he is innovative both on and off the football field, and we are pleased to welcome him to this year’s elite team of U.S. Army All-American Bowl athletes.”

Black was selected by the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Selection Committee, consisting of All American Games and 247Sports.

U.S. Army All-Americans are eligible for the U.S. Army Player of the Year Award, the Anthony Muñoz Lineman of the Year Award, the American Family Insurance Defensive Player of the Year Award, the Lockheed Martin Defensive Back of the Year Award, the Pete Dawkins MVP Award, and the Felix “Doc” Blanchard and Glenn Davis Awards.

As a result of Black being selected for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, presented by American Family Insurance, his head coach David Dykeman is invited to travel to San Antonio to attend the U.S. Army Coaches Academy, an elite three-day learning experience, and participate in Bowl Week activities.

“Dreams are not wishes; dreams are not achieved without a plan, a lot of hard work and dedication,” said Telisa Yancy, chief marketing officer for American Family Insurance. “American Family Insurance is honored to celebrate the achievements of these young student-athletes who pursue their dreams tirelessly and make the commitment to do whatever it takes to make them come true.”

For 17 years, the U.S. Army All-American Bowl has been the nation’s premier high school sporting event, serving as the preeminent launching pad for America’s future college and NFL stars. Odell Beckham Jr., Andrew Luck, Patrick Peterson, Adrian Peterson, Derrick Henry, and Christian McCaffrey made their national debuts as U.S. Army All-Americans.

A total of 330 U.S. Army All-American Bowl alumni have been selected in NFL Drafts. The 2016 U.S. Army All-American Bowl drew a crowd of 39,121 to the Alamodome and was watched by more than 4 million viewers across the country.

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