LOCAL STUDENT EARNS ELITE STATUS AS A MEMBER OF THE 2018 U.S. ARMY ALL-AMERICAN MARCHING BAND
Emily Wilkinson (Naperville, Illinois, Naperville Central High School) was officially selected as a 2018 U.S. Army All-American during a celebratory selection event at his school, joining an elite group of marching band members who will perform during halftime at the 2018 U.S. Army All-American Bowl Presented by American Family Insurance. Emily is the first student from NCHS to be selected for this honor.
“Being a successful band member not only requires great skill, but also a commitment to teamwork,” said Elizabeth F. Wilson, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for marketing. “To be an Army All-American requires students to excel musically and academically, but most importantly, as young people of character. The U.S. Army is proud to honor all of our talented 2018 U.S. Army All-American Marching Band members and commend each of them on their selection to this elite group.”
The U.S. Army All-American Marching Band recognizes the top 125 high school senior marching musicians and color guard members from across the country. The All-American Bowl consistently draws an annual crowd upwards of 40,000 to the Alamodome and is the most-watched high school sporting event of each year, with 5.1-million viewers tuning in to last year’s broadcast. The Bowl will be nationally televised, live on NBC at 12:00 Noon CST on Saturday, January 6, 2018.
“As the official champion of Dreams, American Family is honored to salute these All-Americans as they work hard to pursue their dreams with the encouragement of family, coaches, friends, and the their communities,” said Telisa Yancy, chief marketing officer for American Family Insurance. “These All-Americans embody what American Family Insurance stands for – hard work, inspiration, dedication, and committed support from those around them make any dream achieved possible.”
For 18 years, the U.S. Army All-American Bowl has been the nation’s premier high school all-star event and football game, serving as the preeminent launching pad for America’s future college and NFL stars. Odell Beckham Jr., Andrew Luck, Eric Berry, Tim Tebow, and Sam Darnold are just some who made their national debuts as U.S. Army All-Americans. A total of 351 U.S. Army All-American alumni have been selected in NFL Drafts. Last year’s Bowl drew an all-time record crowd of 40,568 to the Alamodome.
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl Presented by American Family Insurance is owned and produced by All American Games, a New Jersey-based sports marketing and event management company.
For more information on the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and its related events visit usarmyallamericanbowl.com, goarmy.com/events/aab, and allamericangames.com. Connect with U.S. Army All-American Marching Band activity at fb.com/USAAAMB, or at the official Twitter (@AllAmericanBand) and Instagram (@allamericanband) accounts.
