NFL Junior All-Star Game A Victim
Of Its Own Success; USA Coach Continues Winning High School
Tradition
December 09, 2004
THE NFL GLOBAL Junior Championship prides itself on annually
selecting respected and successful coaches to take on
the prestigious role of head coach of Team USA. Now for
the fourth year running a welcome conflict has added to
the workload of the man charged with leading the 2004
challenge.
Corky Rogers, who will coach a Jacksonville area all-star
team against Japan, France, Canada and Mexico during Super
Bowl week, faces a busy few days as he balances two demanding
coaching responsibilities.
On Saturday, Rogers’ Bolles School Bulldogs take
on Tampa Jefferson High School for the Florida 3A state
championship in Gainesville. Four days later on Wednesday,
December 15, the all-time winningest coach in Florida
high school history will select his 36-man Team USA roster
before the dust has even settled on the high school season.
“We have a knack of choosing successful
coaches,” explained tournament organizer Patrick
Steenberge. “Every year we face a conflict between
the coach’s high school commitments and what we
ask of him. It seems to have become tradition that the
NFL Global Junior Championship coach goes deep into the
playoffs every year. It keeps us waiting, but we’re
always delighted for them.”
Last year in Houston coach Mike Johnston of Katy High
School won the Texas 5A State Championship while his Team
USA duties loomed in the background. Like Rogers this
time around, Johnson had to postpone his roster selection
until mid-December. In 2003 Ed Burke of Torrey Pines High
School won the San Diego CIF championship before taking
up the Team USA reigns. That same season having acted
as an assistant coach for Team USA, Lou Valdin guided
Hahnville High School to the 2003 Louisiana State Championship.
All three also triumphed at the NFL Global Junior Championship.
Rogers, already a three-time state champion, has inevitably
had to cut back on one all-star event. On Sunday he was
due to be introduced to the crowd at Alltel Stadium before
a Jacksonville Jaguars game, but has had to postpone the
honor due to the Florida State Championship.
Rogers will still select his Team USA roster from high
schools in St Johns, Duval, Nassau, Clay, Putnam, Baker,
Union, Bradford and Flagler counties at the McGehee Auditorium
at The Bolles School in Jacksonville at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday,
December 15.
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