National Team Dominates American Team 34-0 in NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Game

Story by L.T.Willis

National Team's #10 Dayne Crist from Kansas was the MVP
of the game. Photo by Eric Wade/T.G.Sports.

The NFLPA 2013 Collegiate Bowl Game held at the Home Depot Center feature two coaches from the NFL, Dick Vermeil the National Team coach the teacher, and the student Herm Edwards the American Team coach . The stats were close in to main areas, first down about even National Team 14, The American Team 13. Total yards National Team 167 and the American Team 169. The National Team beat the American Team 34-0 due to a strong performance on defense.

The National Team defense force the American Team to commit seven turnovers, and never converted on third downs prove to much for them to over come. The National Team scored first in the second quarter on a one yard run by quarterback Dayne Crist from Kansas of the left side for 7-0 lead with 12:12 on the clock. The American Team went three and out, and the National Team with 7:25 on the clock scored on a seven yard touch down pass from Crist to Luke Wilson from Rice to push the lead to 14-0.

National Team kicker #1 Adam Yates kicking a  41
yard field goal. Photo by William Johnson/T.G.Sports.

The National Team kicker Adam Yates from  South Carolina got a chance to get into the scoring act twice when he kicked a pair of field goals from forty one and forty yards out to help increase the National Team lead to 20-7. Late in the third quarter with 6:54 Xavier Boyce from Norfolk State caught a nine yard touch down pass from Jeffrey Tuel from Washington to increase the National Team lead to 27-0. 

National Team #80 Xavier Boyce from Rice catches a nine yard
touchdown pass. Photo by Eric Wade/T.G.Sports.

   

The only bright spot for the American Team was wide out Stanford's Jamal-Rashad Patterson would lead all receivers with catches. Patterson had 8 catches for 86 yards and his longest catch was 15 yards. Many of us wonder why the American Team trailing big, didn't try to air it out and go deep the down the field was the biggest questions of the night.

American Team's #82 Jamal-Rashad Patterson from Stanford
caught 8 passes against the National Team defense. Photo by
Eric Wade/T.G.Sports.

The fourth quarter wasn't no better for the American team as the National Team found another way to score again as running back Eric Stephens from Texas Tech scored on a one yard touchdown run and now the score was 34-0. Clearly the teacher Dick Vermeil had the edge of having the same coaching staff from last year, which helped him to be 2-0 in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Games, while this being the first time for Herm Edwards.

National Team #28 running back Eric Stephens from Texas Tech scores on a  1
yard touchdown run. Photo by Eric wade/T.G.Sports.

The National Team went on to defeat the American Team 34-0 and the stats that will stand out the most will be on third conversion for the American Team 0 for 6, National Team 9 for 17,time of possession the American Team 23:15  and the National Team 36:45. The one thing about this game it gave many future NFL players just a taste of what football is like in the NFL. Three days of what life will be for some of these young men who will tryout for NFL Teams.

The MVP player of the game was the National Team Dayne Crist from Kansas who ran for a 1 yard touch down and  was 10 of 7 for 61 yards and 1 touchdown. The leading rusher of the game was also from the National Team Eric Stephens Jr. from Texas Tech carried the ball 13 times for 38 yards and 1 touchdown. The American Team standouts was quarterback Jordan Rodgers from Vanderbilt was 8 for 11 for 91 yards
and wide out Jamal-Rashad Patterson from Stanford 8 catches for 86 yards.

From left to right: National head coach Dick Vermeil and American Team head
coach Herm Edwards. Photo by William Johnson/T.G.Sports.

" Giving these young men a taste of what their lives will be in the NFL, listening to former NFL players like Art Monk, Darryl Green  and some of the others sharing their personal struggles and success about football in the NFL will be priceless to these group of guys who played in 2013 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, " said coach Dick Vermeil."For more photos from this game go to www.tgsportstv.com and click on Photo Gallery, then scroll down to the 2013 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. All photos were by Eric Wade/T.G.Sports, EW Gems Images and William Johnson/T.G.Sports.