International Bowl: Nebraska recruit Terrell Newby stands alone

AUSTIN, Texas — Some guys look real good on film. Others are exceptional in shirts and shorts — the 7-on-7 look.

Then there are guys like 5-foot-10, 180-pound Chaminade (West Hills, Calif.) running back Terrell Newby.

"He's the real deal," USA National Team Director Garrett Shea. "You rarely see an athlete whose 40 time translates on the field but Terrell's speed and measurables are completely functional to he performs in games and practice.  He can float in and out of holes and then make exceptional cuts and accelerate immediately."

Said USA head coach Aaron Brady, of Gonzaga (Washington, District of Columbia): "He's going to be really good at Nebraska. Hope we get him loose on Tuesday. That will really help our cause."

Newby will be one of three main running back for the Under-19 USA team that takes on The World team in the fourth annual International Bowl Tuesday at Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex in Austin.

The other talented running backs are Chase Abbington of Fort Zumwalt South (St. Peters, Mo.) and Damien Haskins of New Boston (New Boston, Texas)
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Newby is the only California native on the 46-man roster and the only player committed to Nebraska.

Those are two more reasons why he stands out for team USA.

"Explosive," Brady said, naming another. "Dynamic. A big-timer."

But the soft-spoken Newby isn't big-timing any one at the USA camp. "I'm just happy and honored to be around such great guys at a national level and representing our country," he said.

Still, is he a little lonely being the only Golden Stater and the only player heading to Nebraska?

"Not at all," he said. "I like meeting new guys from different backgrounds and cultures."

He'll definitely get that at Nebraska, which has little in common with Southern California where Newby rushed for 2,129 yards on a hefty 272 carries (7.83 average) with 43 touchdowns.

He picked the Cornhuskers over UCLA and Oregon.

"It was a tough decision but a good one for me," he said. "I had the best connection between myself, the coaching staff and my family at Nebraska."

It didn't hurt that on his recruiting trip in Sept., 80,000 fans – as always – jammed Nebraska's stadium. Nebraska is No. 24 in the CBS college recruiting football rankings.

"From what I understand, they're adding 12,000 seats for next year, so every game will have 92,000," he said. "That's exciting."

And they'll all be excited to see someone with the ability of Newby. He's ranked the No. 23 running back in the country by CBS recruiting expert Tom Lemming. Others have him higher including 247sports at No. 11.

None of those numbers will mean a thing come Wednesday when he along with more than 40 USA Players will sign their letters of intent in a breakfast ceremony at a local hotel.

See our MaxPreps 2013 National Signing Day page

Hopefully for the USA players it will be after a win Tuesday against a World team that recorded a 35-29 victory in last year's International Bowl. More humbling for the Americans was that it lost 23-17 in the finals of the World Championships to Canada in the summer.

"We have to bring back a win," Newby said. "It doesn't look good when you're losing at your own sport."

See the USA team roster and more on the International Bowl and USA Football.