Gill realizes dream of being Army All-American

Ohio State commit Jaelen Gill was able to cross off another one of his goals on Wednesday afternoon as the Westerville (Ohio) South product was officially presented with his U.S. Army All-American Bowl jersey. The Rivals100 running back/athlete accepted the honor in front of family and friends at Westerville South High School and the day marked the realization of a dream Gill has had for the past 10 years.

"It's just crazy that this day is already here," Gill said. "This is a game that I've been trying to get to since I was a little kid, since I started playing football. To finally be selected for it is a blessing."

Growing up watching the Army Bowl on television and watching players like Tim Tebow and the many future NFL players who participated was a yearly tradition for Gill. Now he gets to be a part of that tradition.

"Just watching the game throughout the years, watching all of the guys who played in it, it's crazy to think that I'll be playing in the same game," he said.

The game will also cap off Gill's high school career. His senior season is over as South just barely missed qualifying for the playoffs, but he'll look back fondly on everything and he has no regrets about how his final year at Westerville South played out.

"It hasn't truly hit me yet, but it will probably hit me soon," he explained. "My senior season was fun. I can definitely say that I left everything out on the field. Since Week 5 I had been playing with a hamstring strain. It's unfortunate, but given the circumstances, I thought the team and I did everything we could possibly do. Everything from summer workouts to the season, I'll cherish that forever."

The U.S. Army All-American Bowl will be televised on January 6th at 1 PM eastern time on NBC.