Video Interview: Sergeant Major Heyward Breaks Down the Importance of the Semper Fidelis All American Bowl
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @HogManInLA
The importance of the armed forces in the U.S. can never go understated nor can the determination, sacrifice, and dedication the enlisted men and women of the four services bring to the table every day fighting to maintain the freedoms we hold so dear.
Everyone knows about the Marine Corps but few really know about the Marine Corps and until one walks a mile in their shoes will only have an idea what it means to be a Marine. Luckily two of the bigger postseason high school football All-American games, the U.S. Army All-American Game and Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl, bring into focus the ideals of teamwork and values closely resembling the structure of the U.S. armed forces through a beloved American sport – football.
Semper Fidelis is a motto that has been a rallying point for the U.S. Marine Corps since 1883. The Latin phrase translates into English as “always faithful” directly relating to the mentality instilled in the men and women in the Marine Corps to one another, mission, and country. The same principles are applied in team sports where a player relies on his teammates at the task at hand while representing a given school, classmates, family, city, community, and state.
The 57th Annual Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl has brought together 90 players from across the country giving each recruit one last opportunity to showcase their talents on the high school level to a national television audience and in some cases to college football coaches potentially leading to a positive life altering opportunity. The week long preparations on the practice fields for the West and East squads will culminate on Sunday, Jan. 3, with FOX Sports 1 providing the coverage at 9:00 p.m. ET.
In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview, I caught up with Sergeant Major Samuel Heyward during a final walk-through practice for the East squad to get his thoughts on the importance of the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl and what the showcase game not only means to the players competing but also to the United States Marine Corps.
Photo credit: recruitingnewsguru.com; Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl.