Former NFL DB Mark McMillian instructs players at Blue-Grey All-American Combine held on April 4 in San Diego. McMillian didn’t play organized football until his senior year at Kennedy (Granada Hills). He eventually played eight seasons in the NFL (four with the Philadelphia Eagles) and once led the league in interception return yards. He’s a perfect example of the type of player an event like the Blue-Grey All-American Combine can benefit. Photo: BlueGreyFootball.com.
Cal-Hi Sports to partner with the Blue-Grey All-American Combine, which is coming to Freedom High in Oakley on Sunday, May 6. Former NFL players will coach current high schoolers in a day-long session that begins with a combine. We’ll be there for media coverage and player rankings. Go inside for sign-up info and to see which current NFL standout plans to attend. For the Blue-Grey All-American Combine website, CLICK HERE.
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The goals for the Blue-Grey All-American Combine are simple.
First, players who do well during the All-American Combine can earn an invite to the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl (link for a closer look), held at an NFL facility with NFL veteran coaches and nationally broadcast on ESPN’s family of networks (link for footage and link for YouTube footage). In the six-year history of the All-American Bowl, a few of the well-known nationally recognized venues have included Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium, Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Raymond James Stadium, Jacksonville Jaguars’ EverBank Field and Oakland Raiders’ Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
All player selections for the All-American Bowl are based on up-close evaluations at the combine, not on Google searches or watching tape. If a player doesn’t come to a Blue-Grey All-American Combine, he can’t be chosen for the All-American Bowl.
Second, players at the Blue-Grey All-American Combine feature a traveling staff of NFL veterans (link for list of mentors) who serve as the coaches for each event and provide invaluable instruction to student athletes (Classes of 2019 to 2022) during each of the planned four-hour workouts.
The Northern California stop on the national circuit this year will be held on Sunday, May 6 at Freedom High of Oakley beginning at 11 a.m.
Lynden Price, who is with the Blue-Grey Football Operations staff, reports this week that the following coaches who have NFL playing experience will be coaching the following positions during this event:
Mark McMillian (Defensive Backs)
Keith Franklin (Running Backs)
James Finch (Offensive/Defensive Line)
Naeem Brown (Wide Receivers)
Latef Grim (Wide Receivers)
Lynden Price (Linebackers)
Also on hand will be Freedom graduate and Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon. The former all-state running back for the Falcons completed his rookie season last January for the Bengals with 686 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He also had 30 receptions for 287 more yards. It is expected that Mixon will become an even bigger part of the Bengals’ offense in the upcoming season.
Skills testing first takes place in the 40-yard dash, broad jump, bench press and shuttle. Individual drills follow with the former pros. The event continues with an extended one-one-one session. Finally, a meet-and-greet with coaches, players, friends and families, ends the session.
To participate in the All-American Combine, individuals must first sign up for the workout (link for registration). Then, after receiving invite-only approval from the Blue-Grey Football Selection Committee, the benefits are many, including and perhaps most importantly, national exposure for each prospect.
Following the workout, NFL Veteran Evaluations are submitted on each participant, names then entered in the brand’s database with stats posted on the site (link for results page). Colleges from throughout the nation from the NCAA Division I level and including those from the NCAA D2, NCAA D3 and NAIA levels all have access to the information. Junior colleges throughout the state can see the player information as well,
Those who’ve competed in the Blue-Grey All-American Combine in the past have experienced success in college, and beyond (link for Class of 2018, link for Class of 2017, link for Class of 2016, link for Class of 2015, link for Class of 2014).
There are fees for the combine ($135), but with college costs what they are, it can be a solid investment. Workouts also are located all over the country (link for other venues).
Join Cal-Hi Sports and all of these great coaches on May 6 in Oakley by signing up today.
Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports
