USAfootball

Seven defensive linemen announced for 2013 U.S. Under-19 National Team

Defensive linemen ANDREW BILLINGS of Waco (Texas) High School, BEN HUGHES of Waco (Texas) University High School, JACOB HYDE of Manchester (Ky.) Clay County High School, TEVIN MONTGOMERY of Marion (Mass.) Tabor Academy, LEWIS NEAL of Wilson (N.C.) Hunt High School, VINCENT TAYLOR of San Antonio (Texas) Madison High School and WYATT TELLER of Bealeton (Va.) Liberty High School were selected to play on the 2013 U.S. Under-19 National Team, assembled by USA Football. The team will compete 8 p.m. CT Feb. 5 – the night before National Signing Day – in the fourth annual International Bowl in Austin, Texas.

The International Bowl is an annual competition that unites nations that comprise the International Federation of American Football (IFAF). The IFAF World Team includes players age 19-and-under from outside the United States. IFAF is composed of 64 countries spanning six continents that possess a national federation dedicated solely to American football.

The 2013 International Bowl will be played at Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex in Austin, Texas.Both teams will field a roster of 45 players. Team USA’s players and coaches are selected by USA Football.

Billings stands out on both sides of the ball for Waco. As an offensive lineman, he leads his team this season with 112 pancake blocks. On defense, he has 20 tackles, a sack, four quarterback hurries and two passes defended. Billings is undecided on where he will attend college and is considering offers from schools such as Baylor, TCU, Texas and Oklahoma.

Hughes made 47 tackles in 2012 with eight for loss, four sacks and six quarterback hurries in just seven games. He has verbally committed to Oklahoma State.

Hyde, a member of the 2012 U.S. Under-19 World Championship team this past summer, made 51 tackles, including 20 for loss, eight sacks and led Clay County in pancake blocks. He has verbally committed to Kentucky.

Montgomery played in five games in 2012 because of injury, recording 18 tackles and one sack. He has verbally committed to Boston College.

Neal led Hunt High School in tackles with 121, including 14 loss and 12 sacks, to go with three fumble recoveries, two passes defended and a blocked kick. Neal has verbally committed to LSU.

Taylor had 117 tackles, including 20 for loss, 23 quarterback pressures, four sacks, one forced fumble and a defensive touchdown in 2012. He has verbally committed to Oklahoma State.

Teller had 123 tackles, including 18 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and four forced fumbles this past fall. He has verbally committed to Virginia Tech.

USA Football will announce 2013 U.S. Under-19 National Team players in their position groups through mid-December.

Team USA is led by AARON BRADY, head coach of Washington, D.C., Gonzaga College High School. Brady, 36, is 23-11 since being named the head coach of Gonzaga in 2010. In 2011, Brady guided the Eagles to the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship game for the first time in 10 years.

Familiar with the International Bowl, Brady was a defensive assistant for the 2011 U.S. team that won, 21-14, in Austin. Additionally, he has spent the past two summers with USA Football’s U-15 program and has traveled to Sweden teaching the game in conjunction with Sweden’s football federation.

A national team exemption granted by the NCAA allows high school seniors to play for USA Football and not have their participation count as one of their two permitted all-star game appearances. The International Bowl is recognized as a national team competition.

USA Football is the sport’s national governing body in the United States and is the official youth football development partner of the NFL and NFL Players Association.

TUOMAS HEIKKINENof Finland is the IFAF World Team’s head coach. Heikkinen was the World Team’s defensive backs coach in 2011 and 2012, and the five-time Coach of the Year in Finland was inducted into the Finnish American Football Federation Hall of Fame in 2008.

The U.S. Under-19 team is 7-2 in international play, including 2-1 in the International Bowl. The World Team won, 35-29, last February in Austin.

Coaches, players, venues and ticket information will be announced in the coming months.

The U.S. National Team program can be followed on Facebook (www.facebook.com/usnationalfootballteam) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/usnft).

U.S. Under-19 National Team roster:

USA Football’s national team program is supported by corporate partners Marriott, Riddell, Sports Authority, Rawlings, Cutters, Gatorade, Upper Deck, Shock Doctor and St. Vincent Sports Performance.

About USA Football: USA Football, the sport’s national governing body in the United States, hosts dozens of football training events annually offering education for coaches, skill development for players and resources for youth football league commissioners. The independent nonprofit is the official youth football development partner of the NFL, its 32 teams and the NFL Players Association. USA Football manages U.S. national teams within the sport for international competitions and provides more than $1 million annually in equipment grants and youth league volunteer background check subsidies. Endowed by the NFL and NFLPA in 2002 through the NFL Youth Football Fund, USA Football (www.usafootball.com) is chaired by former NFL team executive Carl Peterson.