Matthews selected to play in Georgia Junior Bowl, Butler to compete in 2012

Darlington junior Nigel Matthews has been recognized as one of the top junior football players in the State of Georgia by the NFL Players Association and as such, he will compete with fellow honorees at The Georgia Junior Bowl on Jan. 8 at Georgia Tech. Sophomore Brad Butler has already been selected to participate in the 2012 game and will be recognized at halftime of this year’s event.

According to a press release from the NFL Players Association, Matthews and the other top junior high school football players in the state will be treated like the NFL’s best when they attend the first RisingSeniors.com event in Atlanta Jan. 4-8. The unique five-day summit has an unprecedented format which concentrates on the overall education and development of these young athletes rather than just the game. The week will culminate with the all-star bowl event on Jan. 8.

“It is a tremendous honor for these young men to be invited to play in The Georgia Junior Bowl,” said Darlington head football coach Tommy Atha. “They will have the opportunity to compete against the best Georgia has to offer. It is a great opportunity and it speaks well of our program to have two players selected from across the entire state even though we are in the smallest classification.”

The game is but a fraction of the programming compared to the rest of the action-packed week of events slated for the young student-athletes. In compliance with the NCAA, the programs will be run just like the NFL’s Rookie Symposium to focus on key issues that deal with character and life skills development. The program was designed to assist the young men with the challenges that lie ahead. There will also be a special session on giving back to the community, presented by Danny Wuerffel, former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL legend.

“After attending the Rookie Symposium as an NFL draftee, I see what an impact this program could have on high school student-athletes at this critical time in their lives,” said Izell Reese, vice president of the NFL Players Association Atlanta Chapter and former NFL player. “That is why I partnered with Joe Burns to create this much-needed educational program. We are astounded by the support and participation we have already received from the community and other organizations.”

Players were selected to participate in this opportunity based on their potential as Division I football players, according to Atha. Forty-five players are selected for each squad from the northern and southern halves of the state across all five classifications. 

Matthews is a junior receiver for the Darlington Tigers. This season, he had 21 receptions for 449 yards, for an average of 22 yards per catch. He also had eight touchdown receptions. 

“Nigel has the ability to stretch the field vertically and to take a short route and turn it into a long gain or potentially a score,” Atha said. “He was also a devastating blocker in the open field.” 

Butler followed up a tremendous freshman year with an even better sophomore season as quarterback for the Tigers. In a run first scheme, Brad connected on 71/107 passes for 1,291 yards. This was an average of 18 yards per throw. He threw for 19 touchdowns with just four interceptions through 12 games. He also rushed for 381 yards and four touchdowns. 

“Brad has lead us to back-to-back region championships and four playoff victories in just two years, and he still has two left,” Atha said. “He is already being recognized as one of the top quarterbacks in the state even though he is only a sophomore, and for him to be selected a year in advance to play in The Georgia Bowl is outstanding.”