Orange Bowl to showcase state’s best football student-athletes

The Orange Bowl is preparing to showcase some of the best and brightest around the state.

The OB Committee announced Monday it will hold the inaugural Orange Bowl Florida High School Football Showcase February 25 – a free one-day event that, in association with the National Football Foundation (NFF) and its local chapters, will bring together academically qualified seniors from Florida, and football coaches from NCAA Division II, III and NAIA programs across the country.

The event held at Nova Southeastern University will run from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. and provide an opportunity for student-athletes to use their athletic and academic skills to earn collegiate scholarships.

Student-athletes eligible for participation must be graduating high school seniors who have not accepted a scholarship offer from a NCAA Division I (Football Bowl Subdivision and Football Championship Subdivision) program. They must also meet one of the three following academic qualifications:

They must have earned a GPA of 2.3 or higher in 16 core courses, an SAT score of 820 (math and verbal only) or higher on the old format on SAT exams taken prior to this past March, and an ACT sum score of 68 or higher.

“Everyone knows Florida is a hotbed of football talent for Division I players, but there are hundreds of academically qualified student-athletes beyond Division I signees who are excellent football players and looking to continue both their academic and athletic careers,” said Judge Michael B. Chavies, president and chair of the Orange Bowl Committee. “The Orange Bowl is excited to provide this opportunity for student-athletes so that coaches from around the country, who may have limited recruiting budgets, can evaluate these football players all in one location.”

The showcase will consist of a series of tests and drills to best display each player’s various talents at their respective position. The program will allow ample time for coaches to view student-athletes in drills and talk to them individually about their respective football programs.

This story was originally published October 17, 2016 at 5:13 PM with the headline "Orange Bowl to showcase state’s best football student-athletes."