It was the type of call every aspiring athlete wants to receive; an invitation to play in an All-Star showcase game. In early January, junior Matthew Ott fulfilled that dream when he played in the The Dream All-American Bowl in Arlington, Texas. The game featured top high schooler players from around the country.
“I was excited to go out and perform with other competitors from around the country,” Ott said.
The call, Ott said, came from the game’s owner, Shannon Riley who invited him to showcase his talents in the game. This bowl is part of a series of games where seniors can showcase their skills to college coaches from around the country. The opportunity to play in this type of game is not cheap, but worth the expense for the exposure, Ott said.
“You pay for your own flights and bring your own gear and you also pay for hotels,” Ott said.
On the first day of the event, the athletes experienced media day; they had pictures taken and took part in interviews with coaches and representatives of colleges like Oregon, LSU, and Florida. Another pre-game activity had athletes perform NFL combine-like activities, such as the 40 yard dash, shuttle run, and vertical jump.
“I feel like I performed in the top 10% of the athletes at the event,” Ott said. “They gave us a results sheet and I was in the top 30 overall.” Ott said approximately 200 athletes participated in the game.
After the combine and media day events players practiced practiced with their specific teams, held an award ceremony and took a tour of AT&T Stadium, home of the NFL Dallas Cowboys, site of the All-Star game.
“I enjoyed playing on an NFL field and being in that atmosphere,” Ott said. “I got to see the Cowboys’ players lockers and the cheerleaders locker room. It was a lot of fun.”
As a soon-to-be-senior planning to play high-level collegiate football these schools looking at him is a huge deal as this could be his future that is not too far away. Ott was the only person invited from Nebraska and played the whole game totaling over 100 yards receiving on nine receptions.
Ott said he also had the opportunity to play longsnapper during the game, and though he had no prior experience in that role, he earned a four star designation as a longsnapper and a four star rating as a receiver.
“Longsnapper was fun,” Ott said. “I think I might have a chance to play that position for the Antlers, but we’ll see, because I’m also a receiver.”
“I just got my first offer to play receiver for Peru State,” Ott said. “My senior season is imporant for our team. The better we do as a team, the more chances I have of being seen and recruited.
Ott said he’s optimistic about the Antlers upcoming season.
“I like our chances of returning to state,” Ott said. “We’ve had good development from the juniors and a talented sophomore class, so I think we’ll do well.