USA Football names six linebackers to 2013 U.S. Under-19 National Team in football

Linebackers Justin Bridges-Thompson of Spartanburg (S.C.) High School,Sammy Douglas of Arlington (Texas) High School, Ben Gedeon of Hudson (Ohio) High School, Cory Jasudowich of Cheshire Academy (Cheshire, Conn.), Delando Johnson of Calvert Hall (Baltimore, Md.) High School and Doug Randolph of Woodberry Forest (Woodberry Forest, Va.) High School have been selected to play on the 2013 U.S. Under-19 National Team, assembled by USA Football. The team will compete 8 p.m. CT Feb. 5 – the night before National Signing Day – in the fourth annual International Bowl in Austin, Texas.

The International Bowl is an annual competition that unites nations that comprise the International Federation of American Football (IFAF). The IFAF World Team includes players age 19-and-under from outside the United States. IFAF is composed of 64 countries spanning six continents that possess a national federation dedicated solely to American football.

The 2013 International Bowl will be played at Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex in Austin, Texas. Both teams will field a roster of 45 players. Team USA's players and coaches are selected by USA Football.

Bridges-Thompson played multiple defensive positions, including defensive end and linebacker, recording 63 tackles, six tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries as a senior at Spartanburg. Bridges-Thompson also was a member of the 2012 U.S. National Team that competed for the IFAF Under-19 World Championship this past summer. He is verbally committed to UNC-Charlotte.

Douglas, also a member of the 2012 U.S. Under-19 World Championship team, compiled 168 tackles, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and three passes defended during his senior season. The Arlington, Texas, native is staying close to home in 2013 as he is verbally committed to TCU.

At Hudson, Gedeon made 126 tackles, including 11 for loss and five sacks, as a senior. He also recovered five fumbles and had an interception. Gedeon has verbally committed to play at Michigan.

Jasudowich played alongside Bridges-Thompson and Douglas this past summer on Team USA. In 2011, Jasudowich recorded 85 tackles, six sacks, and one interception, helping Cheshire to its first undefeated season since 1960. He is verbally committed to Connecticut.

Johnson had 70 tackles and two interceptions in 2012 for Calvert Hall, helping the Cardinals reach the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association Class A title game. Johnson is undecided on which college he will attend and currently has offers from Boston College, Illinois and Wake Forest, among others.

Randolph collected 39 tackles in only six games in 2012. In his limited action, Randolph tallied 12½ sacks, 16 quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. He is verbally committed to Notre Dame.

USA Football will announce 2013 U.S. Under-19 National Team players in their position groups through mid-December.

Team USA is led by AARON BRADY, head coach of Washington, D.C., Gonzaga College High School. Brady, 36, is 23-11 since being named the head coach of Gonzaga in 2010. In 2011, Brady guided the Eagles to the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship game for the first time in 10 years.

Familiar with the International Bowl, Brady was a defensive assistant for the 2011 U.S. team that won, 21-14, in Austin. Additionally, he has spent the past two summers with USA Football's U-15 program and has traveled to Sweden teaching the game in conjunction with Sweden's football federation.

A national team exemption granted by the NCAA allows high school seniors to play for USA Football and not have their participation count as one of their two permitted all-star game appearances. The International Bowl is recognized as a national team competition.

USA Football is the sport's national governing body in the United States and is the official youth football development partner of the NFL and NFL Players Association.

TUOMAS HEIKKINEN of Finland is the IFAF World Team's head coach. Heikkinen was the World Team's defensive backs coach in 2011 and 2012, and the five-time Coach of the Year in Finland was inducted into the Finnish American Football Federation Hall of Fame in 2008.

The U.S. Under-19 team is 7-2 in international play, including 2-1 in the International Bowl. The World Team won, 35-29, last February in Austin.

U.S. Under-19 National Team alumni include:
-RB David Wilson, N.Y. Giants (2009 team)
-QB Kevin Hogan, Stanford (2011)
-WR Jaxon Shipley, Texas (2011)
-DL Stephon Tuitt, Notre Dame (2011)
-RB Todd Gurley, Georgia (2012)

IFAF World Team alumni include:
-DE Mehdi Abdesmad, Boston College/Canada (2010 team)
-DL Aiulua Fanene, Arizona/American Samoa (2010)
-DE Bjoern Werner, Florida State/Germany (2010)
-DT Jesse Williams, Alabama/Australia (2010)
-OL Aleksandar Milanovic, Sacramento State/Austria (2011)

Coaches, players, venues and ticket information will be announced in the coming months.

The U.S. National Team program can be followed on Facebook (www.facebook.com/usnationalfootballteam) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/usnft).

U.S. Under-19 National Team roster:
LB-Justin Bridges-Thompson
Spartanburg, (S.C.)
QB-Shane Cockerille
Gilman School (Baltimore, Md.)
LB-Samuel Douglas
Arlington (Texas)
LB-Ben Gedeon
Hudson (Ohio)
LB-Cory Jasudowich
Cheshire Academy (Cheshire, Conn.)
LB-Delando Johnson
Calvert Hall (Towson, Md.)
LB-Doug Randolph
Woodberry Forest (Richmond, Va.)
QB-Anu Solomon
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.)

USA Football's national team program is supported by corporate partners Marriott, Riddell, Sports Authority, Rawlings, Cutters, Gatorade, Upper Deck, Shock Doctor and St. Vincent Sports Performance.

About USA Football: USA Football, the sport's national governing body in the United States, hosts dozens of football training events annually offering education for coaches, skill development for players and resources for youth football league commissioners. The independent nonprofit is the official youth football development partner of the NFL, its 32 teams and the NFL Players Association. USA Football manages U.S. national teams within the sport for international competitions and provides more than $1 million annually in equipment grants and youth league volunteer background check subsidies. Endowed by the NFL and NFLPA in 2002 through the NFL Youth Football Fund, USA Football (www.usafootball.com) is chaired by former NFL team executive Carl Peterson.