California Showcase coming soon

Opportunities for high school football players to further their education and continue playing will be available once again at the fifth annual California Showcase at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine on Feb. 11.

The free one-day, nonprofit event is presented by Coach Terry Donahue, a Balboa Island resident, and the National Football Foundation. It is intended for high school seniors to display their skills to Division II, Division III and NAIA football programs throughout the country.

In the first four years of the event, a total of 497 students have received more than $13 million in financial aid to colleges.

Donahue, the former UCLA head coach, and the National Football Foundation believe that the opportunity of playing college football while earning a college degree has a profound effect on changing young peoples’ lives.

The Showcase will be organized and managed by quality football coaches hand selected by Coach Donahue. A series of tests and drills will be run that will best display each player’s various talents at their respective positions. Following the activities, players and universities will meet to discuss scholarship opportunities for the participating athletes.

Student athletes from across California will register online prior to the Showcase. They must be a graduating high school senior and have not accepted a scholarship offer from a Division I football program. In addition they must meet one of the three following qualifications:

— Have a 2.5 GPA or higher

— Have a SAT score of 860 or higher

— Have an ACT of 18 or higher

There were 50 universities and colleges represented in 2016 and another nine two-year colleges.

Admission will be restricted to the athletes, participating coaches, visiting high school and college coaches, college administrators, and the media.

To sign up, go to: cashowcase.org/students.html

— From staff reports

— From staff reports