It's considered something of an exhibition this International Bowl.
Photo courtesy of USF Football
Steve Specht
It pits Team USA, the 2012 U.S. Under-19 National football team, against the the rest of the world, in a game slated Feb. 1 - National Signing Day - in Austin, Texas.
But don't tell Steve Specht that it's just for fun.
The
St. Xavier (Cincinnati, Ohio) High School head coach was named Team USA's head coach Tuesday by USA Football.
"Anyone who knows me knows I love to compete," Specht said. "I'm excited to be part of the International Bowl and help build understanding for American football around the world."
We were there last National Signing Day - a remarkably frigid night in Central Texas.
We thought it was indeed an exhibition that just piggy-backed the festivities earlier in the day when all 50 of the Team USA players announced officially their college intentions.
But the game turned out surprisingly competitive,
a 21-14 Team USA victory.
Afterward, the World team seemed to be celebrating more than the winners. Not many people had given the "foreign" team much of a prayer.
The USA, after all, will feature 50 Division I players, many of whom will be Top 100 recruits, just like last season. The International Bowl unites 62 nations spanning six continents that are part of the Ineternational Federation of American Football (IFAF).
The organization and this game is growing rapidly.
Specht, 43, is no stranger to USA Football. He was the defensive coordinator of the 2009 U.S. Under-19 team that won the gold medal at the first IFAF World Championship in Canton, Ohio. Team USA allowed just three points in four games.
His high school teams at St. Xavier are defensive juggernauts as well.
Since 2003 when he took over the Bombers, the team has gone 74-19 and won two big school state titles (2005 and 2007). He earned state Division I State Coach of the Year honors both seasons.
"Representing the United States in anything is a tremendous honor,"
Specht said. "To do so in football – the ultimate team sport – is an
honor, an opportunity, a challenge and a responsibility."
The International Bowl is recognized as a U.S. National Team competition by the NCAA and is not an all-star game. International Bowl participation does not count toward a high school senior football player's limit of two postseason events.
"Steve Specht personifies everything we seek in Team USA's head coach," said USA Football Executive Director Scott Hallenbeck. "He leads a highly successful high school program with class and integrity, and we're confident he will help us assemble a team of young men who represent the talent and values one would expect from national team athletes."