Northpinellas: A chance to shine again on the gridiron

A chance to shine again on the gridiron

Oldsmar's first Winners Grill All-Star Football Classic gives players a shot at impressing more than 160 college recruiters.

By MEGAN SCOTT

OLDSMAR -- Roshawn Marshall seemed on his way to his dream of a pro football career.

At Tarpon Springs High School, he was a St. Petersburg Times first-team all-county pick each year he played. In his junior year, he scored eight touchdowns for the district champion Spongers.

Marshall, who played cornerback and wide receiver, graduated from Tarpon Springs High last year and planned to attend the University of South Florida on a football scholarship.

But his mother died of breast cancer. And instead of playing football, Marshall found himself working to take care of his 8-year-old brother and 6-year-old sister.

Now Marshall, 19, has a second chance.

Marshall is one of 70 football players from around the country who will play in the first Winners Grill All-Star Football Classic at Canal Park at 6 p.m. Dec. 30. More than 160 recruiters from small colleges to major universities are expected to be in the stands.

"It's good for people like me who missed their chance to get a second chance," said Marshall, who appeared Monday at a news conference about the game. "There are a ton of people in my situation."

The game is sponsored by Winners Grill, Knock Out Sports and the Florida Athlete Recruiting Service. It is designed to give high school seniors and recent graduates a chance to play college football.

The program is open to anyone under age 20, making it the first such game in the country to allow athletes who have graduated from high school to play. Players must pay $300 to participate.

"This game is not just a gimmick but an outside exposure for these athletes," said Jim Terry, founder of the Florida Athlete Recruiting Service in Crystal Beach. "A lot happens in a young man's life between 17 and 19."

Travis Bourguignon knows that's true.

Bourguignon, 18, graduated from Gaither High School in north Tampa last year. He wanted to play Division I football but his SAT scores were too low. The kicker hopes to catch a recruiter's eye on Dec. 30.

"I think it's going to be great," said Bourguignon, who has spent the past year training and working. "It's just an opportunity maker. It kind of opens doors for people. I hope to get some looks."

The staff for the two teams, named the Vision and Exhume, is made up of a group of veteran NFL coaches and players, including former All-Pro receiver Ernest Givins and former Florida Gator coach and player Jimmy Dunn.

Givins has agreed to coach one of the teams. The other team will be coached by former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Jeff Carlson, who is now a sports anchor on Bay News 9.

The game's rules will have a little twist to them. Terry calls it PG-13 football.

Field goals 45 yards and longer will be worth 4 points. There are no penalties for excessive celebration, and players will use a white football, so it shows up in the dark.

No dancers will come onto the field at halftime. Instead, festivities will feature a pro-wrestling exhibition with former WWF stars Doink the Clown and Tatanka.

"The two fans go together like peanut butter and jelly," said Terry. "Wrestling loves football and football fans love wrestling."

Organizers expect several of the nation's top high school prospects to play, including Aaron Cothran of Tennessee, and Charles Ridgeway and Davanzo Tate, both from Ohio.

But recruiting some of those athletes was hard. Terry watched games from the sidelines, followed players into locker rooms and went to homes to fill out his roster.

Many high school coaches slammed the door in his face, he said. Six spots were left open for any senior, regardless of size, weight and position to give opportunities to those athletes who come from schools with poor football programs.

"We want to take away that high school monopoly and give any athlete an opportunity to play in our game," said Terry. "There's too many politics in high school football, college football and pro football."

Terry, an Arena Football League player, was the only white player on the football team at Clark Atlanta University, a predominantly black college in Atlanta.

He was a kicker for the Clark Atlanta Panthers for two years before finishing his degree at Livingstone College, a black college in Salisbury, N.C.

"A lot of people don't know these schools exist," said Terry, 26. "There are many different ways to make it to the next level."

That's what Marshall and Bourguignon say they're exploring.

Marshall said he wants to play for Florida State but he's willing to play for Bethune-Cookman College or Florida A&M University in the hopes of transferring after a year.

If Bourguignon doesn't get noticed, he plans to attend junior college in the fall and transfer after two years. Just as long as he's playing football.

"I'm pretty much here to help my team win and hope for the best," he said.

The players will have a five-hour practice on Dec. 28 and a four-hour practice on Dec. 29 before the classic.

While the stands in Canal Park in Oldsmar only holds about 3,000, Terry said he chose the venue because Oldsmar is an up and coming area.

"This is the first Super Bowl in the area of Oldsmar," he said. "This is an exciting venue. You got businesses like these. You got hotels."

Tickets are $5 and parking is free. Proceeds will benefit to the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor and a charity named for Oldsmar Mayor Jerry Beverland's late son, Robyn, who died in 1998 from a rare genetic disorder.

"I'm upset because they won't let me play," Beverland said jokingly. "I hope it's a success. I really do. It's something else to showcase the great city of Oldsmar."

-- Megan Scott can be reached at (727) 445-4183 or mscott@sptimes.co .