O-D Youth and High School Football News

O-D Coming to the home of ANOTHER AFC East team!

2012-02-29T16:32:00.000-05:00

Two days ago we proudly announced that we'd be holding camp this year at the fieldhouse at Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills. We also explained that our exciting camp location announcements were just getting started...

Are you sitting down for this one? This year, our Boston and New England camp locations have been consolidated into one event running from July 15th to the 18th at, you guessed it, Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA, home of the New England Patriots!

The NEW New England Camp at Gillette will be a Day and Extended Day only event.

We're not stopping here! We've got plenty of venue announcements to make, so continue to check with us for updates! See you at Gillette Stadium!

O-D Announces Camp at home of Buffalo Bills!

2012-02-27T16:49:00.004-05:00

Buffalo, NY - Based on positive feedback regarding NFL Stadiums, Offense-Defense will be cooperating with more NFL franchises for event hosting, starting this summer! Today, Offense-Defense is proud to announce the first of these new partnerships! Formerly being held at SUNY Brockport, the Offense-Defense Rochester Camp location has been upgraded to the Buffalo Bills Fieldhouse at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, NY, home of the Buffalo Bills! Tours of the Stadium and Locker Room will be included for all campers!
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Eight O-D Alumni rated in Gil Brandt's "Hot 100"

2012-02-24T09:46:00.003-05:00

Former Dallas Cowboys personnel Gil Brandt released his latest Hot 100 today and eight O-D Bowl Alumni were rated in his Hot 100. Brandt was a VP of Player Personnel from 1960 to 1988 with the Cowboys and is now a senior Analyst for NFL.com and is widely known as the Godfather of the NFL Draft.

Headlining the group at No. 14 is Stanford guard David DeCastro of whom Brandt says "As a four-year player at Stanford, DeCastro was a very good guard who can also play center."

He then rates Georgia guard Cordy Glenn at #29, Georgia cornerback Brandon Boykin at No. 33, No. 44 Georgia Tech wide receiver Stephen Hill, Oklahoma cornerback Jamell Fleming rated #52, Washington defensive tackle Alameda Ta’amu at No. 74, Texas linebacker Keenan Robinson is rated as the 84th-best, and rounding it out is Wisconsin wide receiver Nick Toon at #98.

"These eight players are all great athletes who we are excited to see doing so well and appear to be possible top 100 selections, "said Offense-Defense President Rick Whittier, "We congratulate all of our alumni who are just one step closer to living their dream in the NFL."

NFL Combine has begun, O-D Alumni to participate

2012-02-23T09:23:00.006-05:00

Myrtle Beach, SC - the 2012 Scouting Combine, which will be held from Feb. 22 to Feb. 28, is the annual job fair for prospective new NFL players. Players are put through a series of drills, tests and interviews at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, with more than 600 NFL personnel including head coaches, general managers and scouts in attendance.

The kickers, punters, and long snappers will take the field first and then a different position will workout on the field each day.

There will be 19 Offense-Defense Bowl Alumni featured at this year’s event including Texas A&M duo Jeff Fuller and Cyrus Gray, Georgia players Brandon Boykin and Cordy Glenn, South Carolina defensive tackle Travian Robertson, Oklahoma cornerback Jamell Fleming, Texas linebacker Keenan Robinson, Washington defensive tackle Alameda Ta’amu, Wisconsin's Nick Toon, Arizona State cornerback Omar Bolden, California PA guard Rishaw Johnson, Richmond quarterback Aaron Corp, Southern California defensive line duo Christian Tupou and DaJohn Harris, Penn State defensive back Chaz Powell, and a trio of underclassmen led by receiver Stephen Hill (Georgia Tech), lineman David DeCastro (Stanford), and tackle Bobby Massie (Ole Miss).
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More O-D Alumni Added to NFL Combine

2012-02-22T09:15:00.001-05:00

When the first wave of invitations went out to about 250 college senior football players, 14 former O-D Bowl alumni were on that list. Among them were Texas A&M duo Jeff Fuller and Cyrus Gray, Georgia players Brandon Boykin and Cordy Glenn, South Carolina defensive tackle Travian Robertson, Oklahoma cornerback Jamell Fleming, Texas linebacker Keenan Robinson, Washington defensive tackle Alameda Ta’amu, Wisconsin Nick Toon, Arizona State cornerback Omar Bolden, California PA guard Rishaw Johnson, and Richmond quarterback Aaron Corp.

Earlier this week the NFL Scouting Combine posted the final wave of invites as underclassmen and several more seniors were added. Among them were a few more past O-D Bowl participants adding to an already impressive total of players invited.
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2013 O-D All-American Bowl Selection Process Underway

2012-02-16T14:33:00.000-05:00

The Offense-Defense player selection committee has begun evaluations and has sent invitations to a select group for the 2013 O-D All-American Bowl, set to be played in early January, 2013.

The committee has been combing through film, talking to coaches, and meeting weekly as they stack their board. They will continue to evaluate prospects throughout the spring, summer, and into the season until the roster is finalized by October.

Players hoping to be selected for the game need to be nominated by September 15th as the selection process for this year’s game will end earlier than ever before. Coaches, players, and fans can send nominations to the committee through Offense-Defense or call 1-843-903-1888.

"Our committee did an excellent job this past year and we expect them to put together an even better roster for our 2013 game, "said Offense-Defense President Rick Whittier, "I’m confident in our evaluation process to help us bring in the best possible talent Offense-Defense can get."

More O-D Alumni Added to 2012 NFL Scouting Combine Invite List

2012-02-10T12:08:00.004-05:00

Myrtle Beach, SC - When the first wave of invitations went out to about 250 college senior football players, 13 former O-D Bowl alumni were on that list. Among them were Texas A&M duo Jeff Fuller and Cyrus Gray, Georgia players Brandon Boykin and Cordy Glenn, South Carolina defensive tackle Travian Robertson, Texas linebacker Keenan Robinson, Washington defensive tackle Alameda Ta’amu, Wisconsin Nick Toon, Arizona State cornerback Omar Bolden, California PA guard Rishaw Johnson, and Richmond quarterback Aaron Corp.

Earlier this week the NFL Scouting Combine posted the final wave of invites as underclassmen and several more seniors were added. Among them were a few more past O-D Bowl participants adding to an already impressive total of players invited.

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Alumni Cam Newton Named AP Offensive Rookie of the Year

2012-02-07T10:05:00.001-05:00

Newton was the No. 1 overall pick by the Carolina Panthers in the 2011 NFL Draft and then set an NFL record for touchdowns rushing in a season by a quarterback with 14 and became the first player in league history to throw for 4,000 yards and rush for 500. He improved Carolina from a 2-14 team to a 6-10 squad while throwing for 21 touchdowns.

Newton is the second straight No. 1 overall draft pick to take the honor in voting by a nationwide panel of 50 media members. "I want to thank the man upstairs," Newton said.

"People might be surprised to hear this but this is no shock to us, "said Offense-Defense President Rick Whittier, "We saw something special in him during our bowl game and he continues to show it on the field with his competitive spirit and his hard work."

Bowl players make headlines on Signing Day

2012-02-07T09:59:00.001-05:00

Rivals.com four-star linebacker Otha Peters made a massive splash by changing his commitment from Tennessee to Arkansas 48 hours before signing day. Peters was his team's defensive MVP in the 2012 Offense-Defense Bowl and is the No. 6 inside linebacker in the country by Rivals.com.

Two major announcements came from the southeast starting with Rivals.com 3-star defensive end Josh Dawson from Tucker High School who switched his commitment from Vanderbilt to Georgia on Signing Day.

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Cam Newton Named Offensive Rookie of the Year

2012-02-06T10:10:00.002-05:00

Myrtle Beach, SC - Former Offense-Defense Bowl MVP Cameron Newton has been named the 2011 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Newton was the No. 1 overall pick by the Carolina Panthers in the 2011 NFL Draft and then set an NFL record for touchdowns rushing in a season by a quarterback with 14 and became the first player in league history to throw for 4,000 yards and rush for 500. He improved Carolina from a 2-14 team to a 6-10 squad while throwing for 21 touchdowns.
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O-D Bowl players make headlines on Signing Day

2012-02-03T09:57:00.013-05:00

Myrtle Beach, SC - Rivals.com four-star linebacker Otha Peters made a massive splash by changing his commitment from Tennessee to Arkansas 48 hours before signing day. Peters was his team's defensive MVP in the 2012 Offense-Defense Bowl and is the No. 6 inside linebacker in the country by Rivals.com.

Two major announcements came from the southeast starting with Rivals.com 3-star defensive end Josh Dawson from Tucker High School who switched his commitment from Vanderbilt to Georgia on Signing Day.

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Rivals.com rates some key players

2012-02-01T16:08:00.001-05:00

ARLINGTON, Texas - The West beat the East 21-14 on Thursday night at the Offense-Defense Bowl at Cowboys Stadium.

Kenyan Drake opened the scoring for the East with a 3-yard touchdown run, but the West countered when Warren Ball plunged in from a yard out. Keith Byars II put the East up by a touchdown again when he scored on a 6-yard sweep, but again the West answered when Caleb Rowe hit Gabriel Marks for a touchdown reception. The winning touchdown for the West came in the second half as Jovon Robinson scored from 20 yards out.

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Cam Newton Tallies 200 Yards in 2012 Pro Bowl

2012-01-31T09:38:00.000-05:00

Former O-D Bowl participant and current Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton made some big plays in the 2012 Pro Bowl as the AFC won 59-41.

Newton finished with 200 total yards as he ran for 14 and threw for 186 and two touchdowns. He threw a 55-yard score to teammate Steve Smith to make it 34-31 and then a 37-yard scoring pass to Larry Fitzgerald with 2:37 left to play.

"Cam Newton has come a long way since our game and is only going to get better, "said Offense-Defense President Rick Whittier, "As a rookie he had 200 yards in the Pro Bowl and will only improve as he gains experience, and it is scary to think about just how good he should be one day."

Bowl Alumni Shine in 2012 Senior Bowl

2012-01-30T17:02:00.004-05:00

The North won the 2012 Senior Bowl 23-13 with solid performances from several O-D Bowl Alumni. Offensively, Texas A&M wide receiver Jeff Fuller hauled in three catches for 19 yards.

Defensively, the game saw impressive performances from several past O-D Bowl participants. Texas linebacker Keenan Robinson had three tackles while Washington defensive tackle Alameda Ta’amu finished with two stops, including two behind the line of scrimmage. Georgia cornerback Brandon Boykin finished with one tackle.
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Uncommitted players attracting heavy interest

2012-01-26T10:05:00.001-05:00

Over the last couple of weeks a few players from this year's bowl game have committed to BCS programs or switched from a non BCS to a BCS program.

The first is linebacker T.J. Neal from McKeesport, Pennsylvania who committed to Illinois on January 13th. Neal held offers from Auburn, Florida, Nebraska, NC State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas Tech, USC, West Virginia, Central Florida, and many others.
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O-D Announces Preseason All-Americans

2012-01-24T15:07:00.001-05:00

Fresh on the heels of past O-D Bowl's successes at having past participants selected to the Pro Bowl, having alumni invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, and leading all other bowls in Senior Bowl selections, Offense-Defense is proud to announce its Preseason All-America Team.

A few players represent schools who saw participants in the 2012 All-America Game; Yulee tight end Kelvin Rainey represented the school in the game and running back Derrick Henry from Yulee leads the 2012 Preseason All-America Team.
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O-D Bowl Leads in Alumni Selected to 2012 Senior Bowl

2012-01-23T11:27:00.002-05:00

The Senior Bowl is considered the most prestigious of college all-star games with over 800 NFL personnel expected to attend. This year's game will take place on January 28th, 2012 at 3pm from Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. The game will also feature more alumni from Offense-Defense than any other High School All-America Game.

Former O-D All-Americans slated to participate include Brandon Boykin (Georgia), Jamell Fleming (Oklahoma), Jeff Fuller (Texas A&M), Cordy Glenn (Georgia), Cyrus Gray (Texas A&M), Keenan Robinson (Texas), Alameda Ta'amu (Washington), and Nick Toon (Wisconsin).
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13 O-D Bowlers Invited to NFL Combine

2012-01-17T11:31:00.001-05:00

The first wave of invitations to the NFL Scouting Combine, hosted in Indianapolis by the Indianapolis Colts, were recently sent out and 13 former Offense-Defense Bowl participants are on the initial list.

Georgia guard Cordy Glenn, South Carolina defensive tackle Travian Robertson, and Georgia cornerback Brandon Boykin represent the SEC.

Coming from the Big 12 are Texas A&M wide receiver Jeff Fuller and running back Cyrus Gray. Texas linebacker Keenan Robinson also made the cut.

Representing O-D from the Pac-12 is Washington defensive tackle Alameda Ta'amu and Arizona State cornerback Omar Bolden.

Wisconsin wide receiver Nick Toon leads the way as the sole Big Ten representative.

Two players who started out at major programs but transferred down to non FBS programs are California PA guard Rishaw Johnson, an Ole Miss transfer, and Richmond quarterback Aaron Corp, a Southern Cal transfer, round out the group of alumni invited.

The list could grow as more will be invited after the deadline for underclassmen to declare.

"These young men represented Offense-Defense very well in our game and have been leaders for their college programs, "said Offense-Defense President Rick Whittier, "All of these guys clearly have the ability to play in the NFL and we are proud to call them alumni of our game."

Two Former O-D All-Americans Declare for NFL Draft

2012-01-17T11:13:00.000-05:00

Ole Miss junior tackle Bobby Massie and Stanford junior guard David DeCastro have both declared for the 2012 NFL Draft as O-D alumni.

Massie is rated as the No. 7 tackle by NFLDraftScout.com and a projected third-round pick. He was named preseason third-team All-SEC in 2011. DeCastro earned first-team All-America honors by the AP, Phil Steele, and The Sporting News in 2011 as well as first-team All-Pac 12honors. DeCastro is projected as a first-round pick and the No. 1 rated guard by NFLDraftScout.com
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Pro Football Weekly Bestows Major Honors on O-D Alumni

2012-01-17T11:05:00.000-05:00

Pro Football Weekly announced their year end award son Monday January 16th and gave three honors to Panthers quarterback and former Offense-Defense Bowl MVP Cam Newton.

PFW awarded Newton Offensive and Rookie of the Year honors while naming him to the NFL All-Rookie Team.

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O-D Alumni to Participate in College All-Star Games

2012-01-13T16:55:00.003-05:00

With each iteration of the Offense-DefenseAll-American Bowl more and more of its players are finding themselves usheredon to the next level after college. Several players from past editions ofthe Bowl are participating in college all-star games as NFL prospects.

Playing in the Casino Del Sol All-Star Game out in Tuscon, Arizonaon January 16th will be LSU quarterback Jarrett Lee.

Another alumni, Stephen F. Austin cornerback Ben Wells- a former Texas transfer - will play in theNFLPA All-Star Game on January 21st in Los Angeles, California.
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West wins O-D Bowl 21-14

2012-01-10T16:38:00.000-05:00

The West defeated the East 21-14 in the 6th-annual Offense-Defense All-American Bowl on December 29th, 2011.

The East got on the board early with a two-yard run by Alabama commitment Kenyan Drake early in the first quarter but the extra point attempt failed keeping the score at 6-0.

The final score of the first-half came when the West team got on the board with a one-yard run by Ohio State verbal Warren Ball. Louisville commit Josh Appleby nailed the point after attempt to give the West a 7-6 lead with 6:24 left in the half. The West took that lead into halftime.

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Offense-Defense Announces National Player of the Year

2012-01-09T09:44:00.000-05:00

Game officials announced their award winners during the 6th-annual Offense-Defense All-America Game on December 29th. They honored as the National Player of the Year was Kenton (OH) quarterback Maty Mauk, a Missouri commitment.

"Mauk had a tremendous year and we are proud to announce him as our player of the year, "said Offense-Defense Director of Player Personnel Josh Buchanan, "We are happy to add him to our roster and feel he will pick up the playbook well because of his intelligence."

Mauk finished the 2011 season with 5,413 yards and 68 touchdowns while completing 67.5% of his passes. He also led the nation in passing on his way to earning first-team All-State and Division IV Offensive Player of the Year honors in Ohio.

"Mauk displays what Offense-Defense is all about both on and off the field, "said Offense-Defense President Rick Whittier, "It was a pleasure having him at our game and we look forward to seeing more awards like this from him in the future."

Offense-Defense Announces Running Back of the Year

2012-01-09T09:43:00.000-05:00

Game officials announced their award winners during the 6th-annual Offense-Defense All-America Game on December 29th. They honored Virginia Tech pledge J.C. Coleman of Chesapeake (VA) as the running back of the year.

"We are pleased to announce him as our back of the year after the tremendous season he had, "said Offense-Defense President Rick Whittier, "Coleman beat an excellent group of players for this award and made O-D proud to have chosen him for it."

Coleman ran for 1,525 yards and 21 touchdowns to average 9.3 yards per carry while catching 21 passes for 450 yards and four scores despite missing three games due to an ankle injury.

"Coleman was our smallest but perhaps our fastest player showing why he was chosen for the award during the week, "said Offense-Defense Director of Player Personnel Josh Buchanan, "The amazing thing is that he's even more impressive off the field, believe it or not."

Quinshad Davis Named Wide Receiver of the Year

2012-01-09T09:38:00.000-05:00

Game officials announced their award winners during the 6th-annual Offense-Defense All-America Game on December 29th and honored Gaffney (SC)'s Quinshad Davis as the wide receiver of the Year.

"Davis is a guy we liked on tape because of his hands, route running, and size, "said Offense-Defense High School Director Brian Mabry, "He was dominant all season long and showed why he won the award during our game."

Davis is uncommitted but has offers from Tennessee, Wake Forest, NC State, and many others after hauling in 2,009 yards and 25 touchdowns while averaging 133.9 yards per game.

"Davis should have the attention of NFL scouts in four years because of his size, route running, hands, intelligence, and ability to use his body so well, "said Offense-Defense Director of Player Personnel Josh Buchanan, "Like Coleman, he is even more impressive off the field though."

Poutasi Named Offensive Lineman of the Year

2012-01-09T09:35:00.000-05:00

Game officials announced their award winners during the 6th-annual Offense-Defense All-America Game on December 29th naming Desert Pines (NV) tackle Cedrick Poutasi as the lineman of the year. Poutasi finished the 2011 season with 45 knockdowns, gave up just two sacks, and led a unit that paved the way for 2,237 rushing yards. He committed to Utah during the bowl game.

"Poutasi is a massive kid who will likely play guard in college because of his body type and ability to maul big tackles, "said Offense-Defense Director of Player Personnel Josh Buchanan, "We are fortunate to have players of his caliber in our game."

Tennessee commit honored as Linebacker of the Year

2012-01-09T09:31:00.000-05:00

Covington (LA) linebacker Otha Peters was named the linebacker of the year by game officials as they announced their award winners during the 6th-annual Offense-Defense All-America Game on December 29th.

"You can't help but love his tape and he showed the same things in our game that he did on tape from the season, "said Offense-Defense High School Director Brian Mabry, "If he can grow a couple more inches there is no doubt he could be a high draft pick one day."

Peters finished his senior year with 161 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, eight and a half sacks, 11 hurries, six pass breakups, four forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.

"He was one of the best players in our game regardless of position and possibly had the most impressive senior year of any player in our game, "said Offense-Defense Director of Player Personnel Josh Buchanan, "He will make a big impact for the Vols over the next few years."

Canton McKinley takes home second national award

2012-01-09T09:20:00.002-05:00

Canton McKinley takes home a second national award as cornerback Jermaine Edmondson was honored as the defensive back of the year. The award was announced by game officials as they announced their award winners during the 6th-annual Offense-Defense All-America Game on December 29th.

Edmondson had a season to remember as he finished with 11 interceptions and nine pass breakups. He also returned three interceptions for touchdowns and tallied 41 tackles, including one tackle for loss and one sack on the year.

"His best days are ahead as his speed, ball skills, and athleticism will make him a player to be reckoned with as he bulks up in college, "said Offense-Defense Director of Player Personnel Josh Buchanan, "Michigan State is getting a potential shut down cover corner who can make plays."

Special Teams national award announced

2012-01-09T09:17:00.001-05:00

Martin Luther King (GA) return man Blake Tibbs was named the Special Teams Player of the Year during the award ceremony at the 6th-annual Offense-Defense All-America Game on December 29th, as announced by game officials.

The Georgia native finished with two kickoff returns for touchdowns while averaging an impressive 40.3 yards per return as a senior. On offense he totaled 1,087 yards and 15 touchdowns on 66 receptions. He also had 27 punt returns for 77 yards. Tibbs is committed to the University of Georgia.

"Tibbs is a blazing fast kid who can score if he just gets a couple blocks, "said Offense-Defense Director of Player Personnel Josh Buchanan, "I think Georgia is getting a great person and player who should become a playmaker both on offense and special teams for the Bulldogs."

Peterman named Scholar Athlete of the Year

2012-01-09T09:15:00.001-05:00

Bartram Trail (FL) quarterback Nathan Peterman was honored as the Scholar Athlete of the Year during the award ceremony at the 6th-annual Offense-Defense All-America Game on December 29th, as announced by game officials.

"It was an honor to have Peterman play in our game, "said Offense-Defense President Rick Whittier, "He exemplifies what we want an Offense-Defense All-American to be."

His accomplishments on the field of 36 touchdowns and 2,940 yards passing pailed in comparison to his 3.7685 GPA, 44 service learning hours, 1770 SAT, 25 ACT, National Honor Society, and Vystar Credit Union employee in BTHS Academy Program honors. Peterman is committed to Tennessee.

"While Peterman is very accurate and has great mechanics on the field he accomplished on the field as well, "said Offense-Defense Director of Player Personnel Josh Buchanan, "Just by talking with him and his parents you can see why he has done so well both on and off the field in his career."

O-D All-American Geno Smith dominates Orange Bowl

2012-01-09T09:06:00.000-05:00

Offense-Defense is happy to congratulate 2009 Offense-Defense All-American Bowler Geno Smith for his record setting performance for the West Virginia Mountaineers on his way to 2012 Orange Bowl MVP honors.

Geno tied three individual bowl records - TD passes (six), overall TDs (seven), and total points (42). With 401 passing yards, he broke the record Tom Brady set in the 2000 Orange Bowl and became the single season Big East passing yards record holder with 4,379 yards through the air.

Congratulations, Geno!

2012 Bowl Week Wrap-Up

2012-01-05T11:49:00.001-05:00

Offense-Defense would like to thank each and every one of those who visited us during 2012 All-American Bowl Week! We hope everyone had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed the games played, especially at Cowboys Stadium! We couldn't have held such an enormous event without your attendance, cooperation, and support!

Speaking of Cowboys Stadium, the games were great! As you all know, in the Senior All-American Bowl, Team West kept up its recent dominance of the East Squad in a closely contested affair that only saw the West triumph 21-14 after a late game East rally was foiled in the closing seconds.

DNT Photography will have photos available for purchase from their website ( http://www.dntphotography.us/ ) soon. Anyone who preordered their photos will have them shipped to them before the month is out!

As a special gift to everyone, our online store is offering FREE SHIPPING on any and all 2012 Bowl Week merchandise January 15th. Tees, Sweats, DVDs - you name it! Place your orders now!

Once more we want to thank everyone who attended. Overall, we feel Bowl Week was a great experience and we're very proud of all the athletes who attended. See you at camp!

Shrine Bowl Standout Added to O-D Bowl Roster

2011-12-21T16:49:00.000-05:00

The 6th-annual Offense-Defense All-America Game has added Blue Ridge (SC) quarterback Caleb Rowe to the West roster. Rowe, a 6-3 195-pound Maryland commitment, committed firmly to Maryland on June 22nd and closed out his recruiting process.

Rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals.com, Rowe threw for 120 yards on 16 of 26 passing in the 2011 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas.

"Rowe has a solid arm and showed he can make a lot of throws in the Shrine Bowl, "said Offense-Defense Director of Player Personnel Josh Buchanan, "We are happy to add him to our roster and feel he will pick up the playbook well because of his intelligence."

O-D Bowl Adds Stanford Commitment

2011-12-21T10:29:00.000-05:00

The 6th-annual Offense-Defense All-America Game has added Cisterian Prep defensive tackle Ikenna Nwafor to the roster.

Nwafor, a 6'5 298-pound Stanford commitment, will replace the injured Korren Kirven on the West roster. He held offers from Arizona, Columbia, Dartmouth, Harvard, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Oregon State, Purdue, Tulane, Tulsa, Vanderbilt, and Yale. Rivals.com rates Nwafor as a three-star prospect.

"Nwafor is a big, smart kid who is raw but has a shot to be very good, "said Offense-Defense Director of Player Personnel Josh Buchanan, "He's only played two years of high school football so the sky is the limit with him."

Four O-D Bowl Participants Honored by SI.com

2011-12-20T13:12:00.000-05:00

The 6th-annual Offense-Defense All-America Game will feature four players named All-Americans by SI.com.

Two players were honored on the first-team headlined by quarterback Maty Mauk, of Kenton (OH). Mauk is a Missouri commit who set the national prep record for career passing yards (18,520) and touchdowns (213). Also on the first-team is Gaffney (SC) wide receiver Quinshad Davis who hauled in 2,009 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns while boasting a 4.1 GPA.

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O-D Bowl Adds Two Players to Roster

2011-12-19T10:27:00.001-05:00

The 6th-annual Offense-Defense All-America Game has added Lovejoy (GA) cornerback Rico McWilliams to the East Roster. He will be joined on the East squad by Miami Norland's Ereck Flowers.

McWilliams' addition causes Ray Buchanan Jr to move to Team West to replace De'Vante Harris. The 6'0 180-pound cornerback and South Carolina commitment is rated as the No. 28 cornerback in the nation by Rivals.com. McWilliams held offers from Arkansas, Illinois, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Nebraska, NC State, Pittsburgh, Virginia, and Wisconsin among many others.
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Stud Linebackers Commit to O-D Bowl

2011-12-16T14:25:00.001-05:00

The East team will feature Valley View High School's Nyeem Wartman, a 6-3 225-pound Penn State commitment along with McKeesport (PA)'s Tyrone Neal, a 6-1 225-pounder yet to commit, and South Carolina commitment Kaiwan Lewis, a 6-2 225-pounder from Saint Joseph (NJ). Wartman, Neal, and Lewis are all rated as the 34th-best, No. 42, and #44 outside linebackers by Rivals.com but will play inside.

"All three of them are violent hitters who make plays in traffic and can run, " said Offense-Defense Director of Player Personnel Josh Buchanan, "We are really excited about all of these guys because of their speed and athleticism and believe they will be very good at the next level."

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Nate Peterman named finalist for Mr. Football

2011-12-16T11:49:00.001-05:00

Bartram Trail (FL) quarterback Nathan Peterman has been named the Florida 6A Player of the Year and is now a finalist for Florida's Mr. Football.

Other finalists include: 8A-QB Nick Patti, Dr. Phillips; 7A-QB Cord Sandberg, Bradenton Manatee, Jr.; 6A-QB Nathan Peterman, St. John's Bartram Trail, Sr.; 5A-RB Randy "Duke" Johnson, Miami Norland, Sr.; 4A-RB Derrick Henry, Yulee, Jr.; 3A-RB/DB Nelson Agholar, Tampa Berkeley Prep, Sr.; 2A-RB Kelvin Taylor, Belle Glade Glades Day, Jr.; 1A-RB/DB Theryl Brown, Wewahitchka, Sr.

The Mr. Football state player of the year honor will be announced after another round of voting by a statewide panel of coaches and media.

"Peterman had a phenomenal year and almost beat then No. 2 nationally ranked Armwood in the state championship, " said Offense-Defense Director of Player Personnel Josh Buchanan, "His mechanics are some of the best I have ever seen at this level and should make him a productive player in college."

O-D All-Americans Impress at All-Star Games

2011-12-16T09:07:00.001-05:00

In the 63rd annual SCADA North-South All-Star Game in Myrtle Beach on December 10th the North team defeated the South 42-3 and were led defensively by O-D All-American Shaquille Lawson, a Clemson commitment from Daniel High School. Lawson was named the team defensive MVP after he logged five tackles, two and a half tackles for loss, and two sacks in the contest.

"Lawson was by far the best player in the North-South Game and a player I really felt belonged in the Shrine Bowl, " said Offense-Defense Director of Player Personnel Josh Buchanan, "He has great length, is explosive, and a very smart young man who will become a standout for the Clemson Tigers."

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Athletes, Kickers Accept O-D Bowl Invitations

2011-12-16T09:00:00.003-05:00

With Orlando Thomas, Gabriel Marks, and other athletes already on the roster Alabama commit Kenyan Drake, Georgia verbal Blake Tibbs, and recent Georgia Tech commitment Justin Thomas have all accepted invitations to this year's game.

Drake will see time on both sides of the ball while Thomas will play quarterback and wide receiver. Tibbs will return kicks and play some wide receiver in this year's contest. Drake is a 6-1 200-pounder from Hillgrove (GA) while Tibbs is a 6-2 180-pounder from Martin Luther King (GA), and Thomas is a 5-11 178-pounder from Prattville (AL).

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Davis, Tankersley Continue to Impress at Shrine Bowl

2011-12-16T08:51:00.000-05:00

Silver Bluff defensive back Cordrea Tankersley has been hot, showing he probably deserves to be upgraded by the scouting services. Rivals.com posted about Tankersley on Wednesday "When we saw Tankersley play defensive back last spring, he was, to put it nicely, a bit raw. His backpedal was off and at times he seemed lost as he learned how to play in the secondary. Today, he's much more sharp. His footwork on the backpedal is very good, as are his hips and lateral movement. He breaks on the ball well and has very good closing speed. He probably could be a little more aggressive when making a play on the ball, though."

Tankersley is one of seven Clemson commitments headed to Dallas Cowboys Stadium joining DE Martin Aiken, DE Shaquille Lawson, OLB Terry Burrell, OT Javarius Leamon, S Ronald Geohaghan Jr., and Athlete J.J. McCullough.

"Tankersley is fast and has shown great improvement in his overall game, "said Offense-Defense Director of Player Personnel Josh Buchanan, "He’s become a guy who many perceived as a reach at the time I selected him but has shown he is more than worthy of competing with the best of the best in America and will be a playmaker for Clemson."

The second player has become no stranger to the headlines as Gaffney’s Quinshad Davis, a four-star wide receiver, has been very impressive at the practices. Rivals.com said about Davis "Davis continued his outstanding week by making catch after catch in both the morning and afternoon sessions. Because of his size (6-3, 180), he has been a difficult matchup for South Carolina corners, who can't get good position against him. Davis hasn't blown anyone away with his speed, but he's quick out of his breaks and arguably has been one of the two most sure-handed receivers on hand." Davis was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in South Carolina and has yet to commit with Clemson, NC State, and Wake Forest among the most interested.

O-D QBs Highlighted by Air Force Player of the Year

2011-12-16T08:45:00.001-05:00

The East team will be led by Air Force National Player of the Year Finalist Mauty Mauk of Kenton High School, a 6-2 195-pound Missouri commitment. Mauk led the nation in passing, finishing with 5,413 yards and 68 touchdowns as he led his team to the state championship game. Mauk is rated as the 22nd-best pro-style quarterback in the country by Rivals.com.

Joining him on the East roster will be Bartram Trail's Nate Peterman, a 6-2 210-pound Tennessee commitment who threw for 2,940 yards and 36 touchdowns as he led his team to the state title game against No. 2 ranked Armwood. Peterman flew up boards as a senior and is rated as the No. 10 pro-style quarterback by Rivals.com.

"Mauk and Peterman are both accurate passers who can sling the ball around, "said Offense-Defense Director of Player Personnel Josh Buchanan, "Mauk compares to Chase Daniel while Peterman's accuracy will make him a hard player to keep off the field at UT."

The West roster will feature Nebraska commitment Tommy Armstrong, a 6-2 210-pound prospect from Steele, Texas. Joining him will be Modesto Christian's Nate Sudfeld, a 6-5 215-pound Arizona commitment. Rivals.com rates Armstrong as the No. 8 dual-threat quarterback and Sudfeld is ranked as a 3-star pro-style passer by the service.

"Sudfeld brings NFL size and a big arm while Armstrong is an athletic specimen, "said Buchanan, "Both players are slightly under the radar but should be very good players at the next level."

Youth All-American Teams 11-30 Announced!

2011-12-15T15:47:00.000-05:00

Head on over to our roster page and check it out! This completes the Youth portion of our roster. Tomorrow we'll be releasing Teams 31-36, the Junior Showcase!

Highly Touted Running Backs Accept O-D Bowl Invites

2011-12-14T11:22:00.000-05:00

The East team will be led by Oscar Smith High School's JC Coleman, a 5-7 180-pounder committed to Virginia Tech. Coleman missed three games in 2011 due to an injury and still finished with over 1,970 yards and 25 touchdowns as he led his team to a state championship. Rivals.com rates the standout as the No. 4 all-purpose and 102nd-best prospect in the nation.

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Bowl Schedule & Rosters Announced!

2011-12-13T16:43:00.000-05:00

Hey All-Americans! We appreciate your continued patience as we work towards finalizing everything for Bowl Week. Trust us when we say we're just as excited to release info as you are to receive it! Toward that end, we're proud to announce we've released the basic Bowl Week Schedule today!

As an added bonus, we're happy to announce the Youth Bowl rosters for teams 1 through 10! Keep an eye on that page as we'll be announcing the rosters for more and more teams throughout this week, finishing up on Friday!

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O-D Bowl Stacked Along Defensive Line

2011-12-12T14:04:00.002-05:00

The East roster will feature one of the hidden gems in this year's class in Central Gwinnett High School defensive end Francis Kallon, a 6-6 260-pound Georgia Tech commitment. Kallon is the 21st-best end in the nation by Rivals.com. Joining him will be three Stephenson High School players including 6'3 240-pound Virginia Tech commit Jarontay Jones, 6'3 255-pound South Carolina commitment Carlos Hood, and 6-4 280-pound Florida commitment Jafar Mann. Rivals.com rates Jones as the No. 22 end in the nation while Hood is the #47 rated tackle, and Mann is 39th-best tackle, according to the service.

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O-D Bowl Attracts Highly Touted Offensive Linemen

2011-12-12T13:27:00.002-05:00

The East roster is loaded with plenty of four-star prospects and BCS commitments. This year's tackle group is highlighted by four-star tackle Jake Meador, a 6'7 305 pounder from Whiteland High School (IN). Meador is committed to Ole Miss and is rated the No. 33 tackle by Rivals.com. He also held offers from Kentucky, Missouri, Louisville, Kentucky, and Indiana.

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Wide Receivers Named O-D All-Americans

2011-12-12T13:23:00.001-05:00

This year's East squad will feature wide receivers with plenty of speed and size. Leading the group is four-star prospect Malcolm Lewis of Miramar, Florida. Lewis recently committed to Miami (FL) while holding offers from a dozen schools, including LSU, Florida State, Florida, Alabama, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Nebraska, and Ohio State among others.

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O-D Bowl Announces All-American Tight Ends

2011-12-12T13:16:00.002-05:00

This year's crop will bring plenty of size and athletic ability to Arlington. The West squad will be led by Dadeville High School's Darrion Hutcherson, a 6'7 250-pound four-star prospect committed to Auburn. He will be joined by Charles Brush High School's Pharaoh Brown, a 6'7 230-pound four-star prospect with around 20 offers. Among the schools currently interested are Michigan, Oregon, Arizona State, Colorado, Boston College, North Carolina, NC State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, West Virginia, and Purdue.

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SC Player of the Year Accepts O-D Bowl Invitation

2011-12-05T09:07:00.004-05:00

The 6th-annual Offense-Defense All-America Game will feature Gaffney wide receiver Quinshad Davis who has been named the ESPNHS South Carolina and Gatorade South Carolina Player of the Year. This year's game will be nationally-televised from Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas on December 29th at 6pm. The following players have accepted invitations to play in a game which has seen the on-field talents of a wide swath of football stardom including Dez Bryant, Cameron Newton, Stephen Garcia, Rolando McClain, and Joe Haden among many others.

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Player of the Year Finalist Accept O-D Bowl Invitation

2011-12-02T16:08:00.004-05:00

Myrtle Beach, SC - The 6th-annual Offense-Defense All-America Game will feature four players who Rivals.com announced as Postseason Risers and a US Air Force National Player of the Year Candidate. This year's game will be nationally-televised from Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas on December 29that 6pm. The following players have accepted invitations to play in a game which has seen the on-field talents of a wide swath of football stardom including Dez Bryant, Cameron Newton, Stephen Garcia, Rolando McClain, and Joe Haden among many others.

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O-D Bowl Week Update!

2011-11-22T11:06:00.001-05:00

Due to tremendous interest and response, host hotels are almost entirely sold out! If you haven't made your reservations yet, time is running out. Make sure you don't miss the opportunity of a lifetime. Reserve your room now!

Photo preorders are available right now! Why not take care of all your photo requests ahead of time? It's one more thing scratched off your to-do list! Visit our partners DNT Photography today to make sure you get your commemorative photos amd images as soon after the Bowl as possible!
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Submit your photo for Bowl Program inclusion!

2011-10-11T16:15:00.001-04:00

We hope you're as excited as we are for your trip to Arlington this December to take part in 2012 Offense-Defense All-American Bowl Week! This year, we're going to get started on the official Bowl Program early in order to get you the highest quality memento possible to both inform you while visiting with us and to remember your experience for years to come.

With that in mind, we're requesting all our All-Americans to send us a digital photo of themselves for inclusion into the program. Athletes are encouraged to take the largest, clearest headshot possible. We require the photos to include ONLY the player themselves. The image can not be scanned. If you're wearing your jersey, that's a bonus!

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O-D Bowl Week Update!

2011-10-03T11:12:00.005-04:00

Cooler weather has moved in across the country but ticket sales and hotel reservations for 2012 O-D Bowl Week have been heating up! So far, O-D Bowlers and their families have sold out 3 of our partner hotels. If you want to make sure you reserve a room close to Cowboys Stadium, get your registration in NOW! The hotels we decided to work with are those closest to the stadium. If we need to reserve more, we'll have to work outward, adding time to your in-city trips. Don't wait too long!

Also, as a reminder, Youth and Junior All-American invites come with ONE ticket that is intended for the invited athlete. Family and friends wishing to attend the Bowl Games will need to purchase tickets at $25 a piece. This grants you:

Breaking Youth & Junior Bowl News!

2011-08-31T13:46:00.006-04:00

Here's the update you've all been waiting for! The 2012 O-D All-American Bowl will be taking place this year in ARLINGTON, TX! That's right! After the success of this year's camp in Dallas, the possibility opened up for O-D to hold Bowl Week and its related events in COWBOYS STADIUM- EVERY attending All-American athlete, from the youngest youth player to the televised high school seniors, will play AT LEAST one game in the home of the Dallas Cowboys!

This year, Bowl Week will run from Monday, December 26th to Saturday, December 31st. All athletes and their families will be checking into their hotels on the 26th and the final event/regularly scheduled departures will take place the 31st!

Huge Bowl Game Announcement - Coming Wednesday

2011-08-29T16:57:00.001-04:00

We've heard you guys loud and clear, and you're all asking the same question: "When and Where is the Youth All-American Bowl going to be held?". Well, this Wednesday we're going to be releasing the big news that everyone has been waiting for. Check our Blog, Facebook, Twitter, or Homepage Wednesday for all the details. We promise, it was worth the wait!

All-American Rosters, Dates, Locations - coming soon!

2011-08-04T13:37:00.001-04:00

We're working around the clock here in Myrtle Beach to get the 2012 All-American Bowl Week rosters, schedules, and location information set in stone as early as possible! Rest assured, we'll have that information up on the website before you know it and in plenty of time to secure your travel and lodging accommodations for the big event!

Keep checking in with us here at O-D.com for updates and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to let us know!

2011 O-D Camps Wrapping Up!

2011-07-29T09:55:00.000-04:00

It's been another exciting year of O-D Summer Camps and after the Elite Camp ends Sunday, July 31st, the Summer slate of camps will have come to a successful close! We hope everyone had a great time at camp this year and hope you apply everything you learned as best you can in the upcoming season. Offense-Defense would like to thank each and every one of our campers and their families for helping make this one of our best years yet!

If you missed O-DTV this year, it's not too late to visit our online store and order it so you can view archived video of your time at camp, all from the convenience of your home, office, or portable device! There are also tons of great camp photos available for purchase so make sure you take a look at those as well! We've also got an official announcement set to drop Monday regarding the Youth All-American Bowl so many of you are clamoring for info about so check back with us here after the weekend to see what's going on!

2011 Camp Season in Full Swing!

2011-06-16T16:13:00.000-04:00

We're smack dab in the middle of what's been an awesome camp season so far and we've still got a long way to go. Still, there's no shortage of exciting news and updates to talk about in regards to how camps have been going so far so, without further ado, let's get to it!

By and large, O-DTV has been a runaway success this year! We've got cameras capturing all the action at each one of our camp locations this year and as technology has improved, so has our ability to deliver every thump of the pads live as it happens AND archived conveniently to your living room! Want to get in on the action? You can order O-DTV quickly and easily by visiting store.O-D.com!

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Tune in to camp with O-DTV!

2011-05-29T12:49:00.003-04:00

ODTV is back and better than ever before! After two years of developing and perfecting our streaming capabilities, we're ready to bring all the excitement and atmosphere of camp to the convenience of your home, or office, or even if you're on the go with your laptop or smartphone! Be sure to catch all the practices, player/parent/staff interviews, and tons more live from the camp location of your choice!

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2011 O-D Coach headliners announced!

2011-05-17T16:26:00.001-04:00

And what headliners they are! The 2011 Offense-Defense Summer Tour coaches roster is looking like an All-Star team! Literally! A lot of the coaches you'll see at camps this year have stood at the very pinnacle of the game - First Round Picks, Pro Bowls, Super Bowls...you name it!

From Karl Mecklenburg to Maxie Baughn to Carl Hairston, these are experienced pros and coaches who have tons of experience at what matters the most: unlocking and even increasing athletes' potential! Click on the big red 2011 Coaches button on our main page and stay tuned for our Head Coaches list coming out later on today!

O-D Family Scores Big at NFL Draft!

2011-05-05T15:03:00.000-04:00

Offense-Defense would like to extend a big, heartfelt congratulations to all of our All-Americans Bowlers, O-D Lifers, and Campers who went in the draft this year. Almost 30 family members were selected by NFL clubs in the seven rounds ensuring that when the lockout gets lifted for good and we're back to a normal NFL schedule, O-D's growing presence in the league will become even stronger.

From Cam Newton to Casey Matthews, for a full breakdown of the O-D draftees, check out the awesome, can't miss graphic on the main page of O-D.com!

All-American Bowl not just for Youth, Seniors Anymore

2011-04-27T16:00:00.003-04:00

I want to hold off on talking about the latest developments in the NFL Labor dispute to focus on something a little more O-D centric for now and it's a big one! Two years ago, we started the Youth All-American Bowl to provide a unique opportunity and event for our top tier youth campers. So far it's been a resounding success! This year, we're proud to announce a brand new event running alongside the nationally televised All-American game: The Offense-Defense Junior All-American Bowl!

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The O-D Player Visibility Platform is now in Beta!

2011-04-19T13:10:00.001-04:00

Take another step towards getting into the college of your dreams! The Player Visibility Platform is here available for use and beta testing! Submit video, stats, grades and more to your profile and have all this information sent along to and accessible by the schools of YOUR choice!

Access to the Player Visibility Platform is currently restricted to Offense-Defense Summer Campers. It is free of charge. Simply log into your My Account page, click the prompt to Get Started and you're off! When you're done, you'll be able to link and share your profile with all your friends to let them see how good you really are!

Help us and help yourself in the process! Try out the brand new Player Visibility Platform today!

New Episode of the Sports Report!

2011-04-15T15:26:00.009-04:00

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the fifth edition of the O-D Sports Report! For the fifth show, we took a trip across town to hang out at the star-studded Monday After the Masters event and jammed the show full of more celebrities and sports stars than you can shake a stick at!

From hockey hall-of-famers to football greats to the Mike & Mike show, this episode of the Sports Report is any sports fan's dream. It's all this and more as your host, JD Redmon, takes you through a brief overview of what you can expect at camp this year, both new and old! Check it out!

With camps around the corner, availability limited

2011-04-11T11:12:00.000-04:00

Can you believe it?! It's the middle of April already! Do you know what that means? Sure, temperatures are warming up and there are April showers and all of that, but let's get to the important stuff! The 2011 Offense-Defense Summer Camp tour kicks off next month!

This means that if you've been holding off or delaying your camp registration for the 2011 camp season, you should delay no longer! Availability at certain locations (New England, Dallas, and Atlanta to name a few) is already limited and camp forms are due at the beginning of May!
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O-D Knows ... Recruiting!

2011-04-06T10:20:00.000-04:00

That's right! And we've got our own little nifty eBook to prove it! Called "O-D's Top 10 Recruiting Tips!", we go over the 10 best ways to get you front and center before the eyes of the recruiters who make the NCAA football world turn. From how to present yourself to a wider audience to camp decisions, this short eBook's got all the pointers you'll need to take your self-promotion to the next level!

Don't wait any longer than you have to! Every second lost decreases the chances of getting the recruitment letter of your dreams in your mailbox, or the coach of your favorite college program knocking at your door. Download the eBook today and learn how to take control of the college recruiting process!

O-D's McCoy Shines at Spring Scrimmage

2011-04-04T16:07:00.002-04:00

Does O-D know how to pick 'em or what? The University of Texas Longhorns held their annual spring scrimmage Sunday and 2010 O-D Bowler Case McCoy, younger brother of former Longhorn and current Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy, was arguably the best player under center on the day for the vaunted, albeit rebuilding, program.

Case took the field with a mixed squad of backups and walk-ons and spent most of his time throwing against the Longhorns' first-team defensive units. All told, McCoy was one of four Longhorns' quarterbacks seeing time on the field and set the pace for the signal-callers completing 9 of 11 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown strike.

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Landmark NFL Labor Agreement Reached

2011-04-01T11:31:00.005-04:00

Roger Goodell, NFL Commish

America's sports-viewing public can rest easy - the NFL's labor woes have been solved and then some! In a startling moment of clarity for NFL bigwigs and player representatives, a deal was reached in the early hours Friday morning assuring the 2011 NFL season would take place exactly as scheduled.

"We're very pleased to be able to announce that it's going to be business as usual for the NFL again in 2011," offered NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. "And by business as usual we mean really big, huge business. Ridiculous cash. Phat stacks. I'm sorry, I know I don't sound quite like myself, but talking about these vast sums of money makes me a little kooky. It's weird, really. We were already making so much and there was so much extra cash to just throw around. I'm not even sure what we were fighting about. Our bad, I guess."

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Madden Madness is kicking into full gear

2011-03-31T11:03:00.002-04:00

The NCAA March Madness tournament has whittled itself down to a select few and there's been no shortage of surprises or excitement in this year's edition with VCU making a surprise run to the Final Four and tiny Butler making their second consecutive appearance. Just in case you haven't had your fill of brackets, there's a new game in town. Literally!

ESPN and EA Sports are teaming up to allow fans to vote for their choice of athlete to appear on this year's Madden video game, bracket-style! Round one is already in the books and there were little in the way of upsets. There's still found rounds to go however and the current round, wrapping up on April 3rd, features a bevy of titanic matchups.

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Football on Sundays - No NFL, No Problem?

2011-03-30T11:12:00.002-04:00

As we get closer and closer to football season with no resolution in sight to the NFL labor woes, it's natural to sit and think about just what the fall will be like without NFL programming dominating our Sundays. You wouldn't be the only one! Already the idea of bringing NCAA football to Sunday is being kicked around by figures involved in collegiate athletic programs and while it may just be idle speculation for now, who knows what the future could bring?

In an interview with Rivals, some of those thoughts were made public. Take PAC-12 commish Larry Scott, "We certainly are monitoring the situation. We have no plans in place at this time, but you want to be prepared and consider all options."

Amidst uncertainty, O-D Alum Newton shows wares

2011-03-29T13:50:00.002-04:00

Cam Newton - 2007 O-D Bowl

With NFL players and team owners feuding the only thing certain about the 2011 NFL schedule is that the Draft will go forward as planned on April 28th. No one knows this or is preparing any more than 2010 Heisman winner, NCAA National Champion, and 2007 Offense-Defense All-American Bowl MVP Cam Newton.

Newton is visiting the Buffalo Bills today, owners of the 3rd pick in this year's Draft, in order to get a better feel for one of the potential future organizations he could be a part whenever it is that the NFL gets back to business as usual. It's merely the first stop on a multi-team tour that will see the electrifying prospect, quoted this past year as saying the Offense-Defense experience "kick-started (his) career," make visits to eight more organizations picking early in the Draft: Carolina and Denver with the first two picks, and Cincinnati, Cleveland, Tennessee, Washington, Minnesota, and Miami all picking afterward.

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NCAA hints it's never too early to prepare

2011-03-25T16:09:00.002-04:00

The high school and youth sports world has gotten increasingly more competitive in a surprisingly short amount of time. We're not just talking about on competition on the field of play, though that gets better every year, too! Just two short years ago, the NCAA made the edict that boys' basketball players as early as the 7th grade were being considered college prospects for the purposes of collegiate recruiters.

While this drastic proclamation hasn't been made about football just yet, the writing is on the wall: college recruiters are preparing earlier and earlier, evaluating young athletes at younger ages than they ever have before in order to get the jump on the competition.

The Soccer Side of Chad Ochocinco

2011-03-24T13:46:00.004-04:00

#85 coaching at our
Cincinnati Camp

So you've been locked out of your job. If you never earned another penny for the rest of your days, you'd still be financially secure for the rest of your life ten times over. You have nothing but free time on your hands. What do you do? If you're anything like professional controversy vortex - and O-D Pro - Chad Ochocinco, you might just be inclined to pick up your childhood passion.

In Chad's case, that would be football. No, not that one. The OTHER football. That's right, Ochocinco's got himself a tryout with Sporting KC of the MLS and he insists it's not so much a publicity stunt as it is taking the opportunity that presented itself to play his favorite sport in the world. Yup, soccer. Chad even displayed an uncharacteristic humble side when recounting the experiences of his first day on the job:

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Did NFL owners overreact?

2011-03-23T11:14:00.002-04:00

Right Here

No, this isn't another cutesy story about ongoing labor discussions between millionaires and their slightly more fortunate billionaire bosses. At the NFL's annual owners' meeting, team owners voted by a 26 to 6 margin to move kickoffs from the 30 to the 35-yard line and to only allow the coverage team to line up a maximum of 5 yards behind the kick. The reasoning? The 5-yard bump should increase touchbacks and reduce the speed with which the coverage team gets to the ball carrier, respectively.

The overall goal, it seems, is to reduce player injury. Let it never be stated that this is something we at O-D would ever blindly argue against. Player health and safety remains our top priority at every level of the game. In fact, the attention we give to preventing injury is a big part of why we've been able to run contact camps for over four decades. The fact is, as the rules stood, kickers were already able to kick the ball out of the endzone on kickoffs and last season more than one kick out of every seven wound up being brought back out to the 20 without the need for contact of any sort.
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Preview: O-D Player Visibility Platform

2011-03-21T13:11:00.000-04:00

Offense-Defense Sports is proud to announce today the ongoing development and impending release of our latest top-secret project aimed at getting college-minded athletes as early as the 7th grade the visibility and attention they need from every college program in the country. Dubbed the Player Visibility Platform, or PVP by our nerdy R&D types, the performance scientists at Offense-Defense have created the ultimate weapon of mass exposure!

The PVP program marries O-D's heralded on-field instructional product with our state-of-the-art web technology and unparalleled coaching and college network to create the most comprehensive player profile and portfolio imaginable. Information from camp performances gets input into a player's profile by certified coaching and analysis experts along with personal profile information the athlete themselves enter about themselves. The athlete tells us what schools they want their profile sent to and we do the rest! The colleges of the athlete's choice get a comprehensive, official dossier detailing everything from the player's 40-time, height, and weight to whatever personal information the subject feels like sharing.
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Business as usual in 2011 as O-D ducks labor woes

2011-03-17T14:19:00.007-04:00

Owner Rick Whittier (left) VP Matt Whittier (right)

Offense-Defense Sports ownership reached an amicable agreement after meeting with company employees today assuring a 44th consecutive year of high-quality, top-flight, unparalleled football instruction to take place through the Spring, Summer, and even Winter of 2011. The agreement capped off a whirlwind series of negotiation sessions that rarely involved any raised voices or frayed nerves.

"It was really a pretty easy process," noted Offense-Defense Sports Vice President Matt Whittier. "Everyone was on board the whole way with moving forward with another great year of football and life skills instruction. We're pleased all of our fine employees felt the same way: that it was imperative we hammer something out now in order to maintain our standards of excellence for generations to come and continue to cement our reputation as THE leader of youth, high school, and collegiate football in America."

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