Chicago Kenwood EDGE Marquise Lightfoot, a Miami Hurricanes commit, was virtually presented with his All-American Bowl jersey on Wednesday night as part of the Road to the Dome tour.
The game will take place on January 6th, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas with a week of practice leading up which 247Sports will cover.
Lightfoot is the first Kenwood player to be selected for the game.
“Just being able to make history in general is a great feeling,” he said. “I can stand out from the crowd, know I’m a diamond in the rough and that I made it out. I’m thankful for my coaches, my school and my family for this honor.”
A 6-foot-5, 220-pound pass-rusher, Lightfoot is a Top 60 overall prospect in the country per 247Sports. He is looking forward to the competition of the week but does not feel the need to prove himself any further than he has over the course of four high school season.
“It’s still a fun game. I like to think of it like an All-Star game in basketball,” he said. “So it’s not overly serious but if the other players there are going head to head, I’m going to be right there and competing.”
Lightfoot will sign with Miami in December then enroll there mid-January, shortly after he plays in the All-American Bowl.
He is hoping that mid-year enrollment will prepare him not only for college football, but college life.
“I’m trying to get acquainted as early as possible,” Lightfoot said. “What hear from everyone else who has already graduated and is in college is that isn’t always hard, but it takes time getting used to. With me having lived with my mom, under her wing, it’s time for me to become my own person and I’m going to be able to do that being a thousand miles away from here.”
This year’s game will be the 24th edition of the All-American Bowl. In that time, the game has had 562 future NFL Draft choices, including 129 1st Round picks participate. 217 participants would go on to be a Pro Bowl selection and 97 have been Super Bowl champs.
Among the notable alumni are three straight 1st Overall selections in Bryce Young, Travon Walker and Trevor Lawrence. Stefon Diggs, Odell Beckham Jr., Ezekiel Elliott, Derrick Henry, Joe Thomas, DK Metcalf, Micah Parsons, Adrian Peterson, Vince Young, Chase Young and others have also participated in the game.
