Press release
Arik Gilbert Named 2019-20 Gatorade® National Football Player Of The Year
MARIETTA, Ga., Dec. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In its 35th year of honoring the nation's most elite high school athletes, The Gatorade Company today announced
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[{"type":"text","content":"MARIETTA, Ga., Dec. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In its 35th year of honoring the nation's most elite high school athletes, The Gatorade Company today announced Arik Gilbert of Marietta High School in Marietta, Ga. is the 2019-20 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year. Gilbert won the prestigious award for his accomplishments on and off the field, joining an impressive group of former Gatorade National Football Player of the Year winners who combined for six NFL MVP awards, 30 Pro Bowl appearances and six NFL first round draft picks.\nAtlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan surprised Gilbert with the award in front of family, friends, teammates and coaches at his school. Check out a video of the announcement here. \nThe award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field distinguishes Gilbert as the nation's best high school football player. A national advisory panel comprised of sport-specific experts and sports journalists helped select Gilbert from more than a million high school football players nationwide. \nCompetition for the national award is fierce. Gilbert topped the list of 51 state winners in football who have an incredible list of accomplishments, including 9 All-American Bowl Game participants, 27 All-State players, 7 SEC school committees and nearly all volunteering with at least two organizations. \nGilbert is now a finalist for the most prestigious award in high school sports, the Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year award, which is announced at a special ceremony prior to The ESPY Awards in July.\n\"Gilbert is probably the most complete prep tight end I've scouted,\" says Director of Sports Illustrated All-American John Garcia, Jr. \"His physical profile alone would warrant offers, but it's his polish that makes him a can't-miss prospect. He's already a great route runner with very good ball skills, which pairs almost unfairly with his athletic ability. He's big, fast, physical, and competitive on top of it. He's probably the most dominant offensive weapon in the country, and he's doing it against elite competition in the Atlanta area, where he led his team to its first state title since 1967.\"\nThe 6-foot-5, 255-pound senior tight end led the Blue Devils to a 13-2 record and the Cl...