US Army All-American Bowl: How One Idea Sparked America’s Premier High School Football Showcase

High School On SI sat down with founder Rich McGuiness to get the inside scoop on the game, it's history and it's future

US Army All-America Bowl founder Rich McGuiness discusses the origins of the game. / CKY Sports

When most people say football runs in their blood, they’re speaking figuratively. But for the founder of the US Army All-American Bowl, Rich McGuiness the sport makes up a full third of his DNA—at least according to his own math. Toss in his native New Jersey’s sweltering “Indian summers,” a few winters that feel straight out of Alaska, and a lifelong obsession with the grind, and you get the spark behind one of the most iconic high school football events in the nation.

Welcome to the story behind the US Army All-American Bowl—how it started, how it grew, who it shaped, and why December 21st in Frisco, Texas, is about to be the center of the prep football universe.

“It Was Just an Idea”: The Birth of a High School Football Classic

Before there were TV cameras, five-star rankings, or viral commitment videos, there was just a former DA with a big dream. Inspired by the McDonald’s All-American Game, the Little League World Series, and old-school Five-Star Academy camps, he wondered:

Why doesn’t football have its own national showcase for the best high school seniors?

So in 2000, with no handbook and no roadmap, he started dialing every top recruit he could find—back when “dialing” meant calling landlines, chasing down parents, and tracking players through school offices. Of the first 80 invites, 79 said yes. Not too bad for year one.

TV ratings? Meh. Attendance? Let’s call it “intimate.”
But the players showed up—and that was enough to spark 17 years of momentum and countless NFL careers.

How the Army Joined the Huddle

The partnership that elevated the Bowl from ambitious to iconic started with a pitch in Fort Knox. The founder stood before a general—coincidentally a huge Tennessee football fan—and laid out his vision.

The Army saw more than a game: they saw a platform.
A way to educate young people nationwide about service, leadership, and opportunity. And so the US Army became the presenting partner.

Players began traveling the country, being honored at their high schools, meeting decorated soldiers, and learning from heroes barely older than themselves.

Football glory met real-world perspective—and it stuck.

Why High School? Because Back Then, Nobody Knew These Kids

Today, every five-star sophomore has a highlight reel with cinematic music and a million TikTok views. But in 2000? Not so much.

Back then, high school football stars were myths more than media figures. Maybe you’d catch their name in the local newspaper if you were lucky. The All-American Bowl stepped in to bridge that gap—putting the nation’s top talent on one field, one week, under one massive spotlight.

It didn’t just showcase players. It transformed recruiting forever.

Who Gets In? Talent First, Character Always

Getting selected isn’t as simple as being fast enough to outrun radar or strong enough to bench press a small SUV.

Sure, the scouting begins with evaluating charts, rankings, and cross-referenced data from the biggest recruiting services. But the Bowl is about more than talent—it's about representing the game, the event, and the Army partnership with integrity.

Tim Tebow. Adrian Peterson. Andrew Luck. Odell Beckham Jr. Marcus Spears.
All All-Americans. All examples of the standard.

And sometimes, the Bowl uncovers gems—like Haloti Ngata, a late addition from Utah who went from “guy #178” to future NFL superstar, who played for 13 seasons, in one jaw-dropping week.

What Players Take Home (Besides the Jersey)

The All-American Bowl is a week-long crash course in elite competition:

• Going toe-to-toe with the best players in the country
• Meeting NFL legends like Emmitt Smith
• Bonding with soldiers their own age with real-world combat experience
• Eating far too many steaks
• Testing their skills in drills, competitions, and game planning
• Getting a real sense of where they stand before entering college

Oh—and last year, the Bowl added something new and long overdue: an All-American Flag Football Game for the nation’s top 20 female athletes.

The Rise of Women’s Flag Football

What started with one coach taking his daughters’ basketball team to the Pro Football Hall of Fame for a lark has turned into a full-fledged national movement.

The girls—none of whom had ever played flag—fell in love instantly. Soon they were entering tournaments (with a guest quarterback flown in from Canada, for the record) and showing that elite athleticism easily translates across sports.

Now, the All-American Bowl week includes a flag division featuring some of the top women in the country—several of whom are legitimate contenders for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where flag football will make its debut.

From All-American to the NFL: Do the Numbers Back It Up?

Short answer: Absolutely.

Of the roughly 80 players selected each year, 25–30 go on to the NFL.

That’s nearly 40%—wildly higher than the national average, where only about 1% of college players make the league.

Hall of Famers? Yep.

Future Hall of Famers? Probably.

The Bowl has become one of football’s most dependable crystal balls.

All Eyes on December 21: What to Expect This Year

The 2025 All-American Bowl kicks off December 21 at the Ford Center at The Star—the Dallas Cowboys’ sleek, state-of-the-art practice facility in Frisco, Texas.

Fans can:

Grab tickets and info via usmilbowl.com

Watch the stream on Victory Network, home of the Texas Rangers and major high school championships

This year’s roster includes:

• Talented SEC-bound quarterbacks
• Massive international linemen
• Versatile playmakers from coast to coast
• And an expanded international presence that will add new flavor to the competition

Plus, the All-American Flag Game returns with another stacked class of elite female athletes.

High School Stars Shine Bright

From a Jersey kid’s love of football to a national showcase intertwined with military honor, the All-American Bowl has become more than a game. It’s a launching pad, a reunion, a proving ground, and—for many—an unforgettable turning point.

And on December 21st, another class of high school stars will take their first big step toward the future.