St. Edward athlete invited to Army All-American Bowl

LAKEWOOD, Ohio - It's a huge honor for a high school stand-out. A U.S. Army representative made a special visit to St. Edward High School on Tuesday, to invite a very talented senior to the Army All-American Bowl.

Offensive tackle Kyle Kalis was presented with an honorary jersey in front of his friends, family and teammates.

Players are chosen not just because they excel on the football field, but because they embody the same values of our Army Strong Soldiers -- values like loyalty and respect.

By becoming an Army All-American, Kalis joins an elite fraternity. Only 90 high school football players are selected each year. As an Army All-American, he is now in the same class as more than 100 first-round NFL draft picks and Heisman Trophy winners. Among the bowl's notable alumni playing in the NFL are Adrian Peterson, Tim Tebow and the Browns' Joe Thomas.

"It's a tremendous honor to be able to take part in this very prestigious event," said Kalis. "I never thought I would be able to take part in it, but thanks to my coaches, teammates and family, they put me in a position to succeed. It's not all me. It's all the people surrounding me. And I'm very thankful for it."

The Army All-American Bowl takes place on Jan. 7, 2012, in San Antonio, Texas.