Two Viking football players have been selected out of thousands of student-athletes to compete in the Blue-Grey Football All-American Bowl. Senior quarterback Kevin Eiseman and senior wide receiver Jordan Dean were chosen by a coaching staff comprised of NFL veterans and experienced scouts after participating in an All-American Combine over the summer.
“It's a great honor for the both of them and it's well-deserved,” said Elvis Grbac ’88, outgoing VASJ head football coach. “Both Jordan and Kevin have always been models of what our school embodies: faith, family and future. They have been not only captains on the field but off the field as well. It doesn't surprise me that they are going on to this All-American game, not only because of their athletic abilities but what they’ve done for the school and how they’ve been examples to the other students.”
Blue-Grey Football was established in 1989 to help high school student-athletes from across the country receive national exposure and increase their chances of securing scholarships at a college. Student-athletes who perform well during a combine are then selected to participate in the invite-only Blue-Grey All-American Bowl.
Eiseman said he was “speechless” after receiving a letter in the mail informing him that he was to become an All-American.
“I can’t explain how great of a feeling it was for me, my family and my team,” he said. “I went on to tell my family and team and they were just as happy as I was. The support that I have had from everyone is what made this moment so special.”
Similarly, Dean said his initial reaction to the news was “shock and excitement.”
“I felt pretty confident about my performance at the combine, but with confidence comes some doubts. I trusted God and knew that there was a purpose for whatever the outcome was,” he said.
Eiseman will play in the All-American Bowl at 1 p.m. (CST) on Dec. 14, while Dean will compete at 1 p.m. (CST) on Jan. 25, 2021. Both games will be held at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium and broadcast on Impact Football Network.
“It’s certainly humbling to be selected to play in a game that has produced many players who performed at the highest level of the sport,” Dean said. “It shows that hard work and faith pay off. It also provides the fuel for me to work harder to reach my goals.”
Eiseman said the opportunity to compete in the bowl game is very special to him.
“I would love to have this game with my teammates at VASJ, but during this game, I can represent all the work this whole program has put in,” he said. “I have God, my family, my teammates, my coaches and the whole VASJ community to thank for this. I have been blessed with amazing people in my life who have made me bring out my best. During this game, it will be my chance to show all the hard work, time and effort everyone has put into me as a student-athlete.”