Middleton’s Benjamin receives early invitation to Under Armour Game

Posted Oct 12, 2011 by Bill Ward

Updated Oct 12, 2011 at 10:40 PM

Middleton junior wide receiver/defensive back Richard Benjamin became the second player this week in Hillsborough County to receive an early invitation to the Under Armour All-America Game for 2013, Tigers coach Alonzo Ashwood confirmed Wednesday.

“It’s a very big deal to be invited to this game,” Ashwood said. “And the big advantage it has (over the U.S. All-America Game) is that it’s right here in our area.”

Benjamin joins another highly-recruited junior, Armwood safety Leon McQuay III, in landing an invitation to this seniors-only game in St. Petersburg, which features some of the nation’s top high school players.

The game is televised nationally on ESPN. The next game is slated for January 5 at Tropicana Field. The first game was played in 2008 and this year’s NFL Draft included former Under Armour game players such as first-round picks Julio Jones (Atlanta Falcons) and A.J. Green (Cincinnati Bengals).

Early invitations to this all-star game seem to be an indication of how competitive it is to land commitments from players trying to decide between participating in Under Armour or the U.S. Army All-America Game, which is also played in January each year.