By ROWENA PLETT

Staff writer

Kyle Naerebout, a 6-1, 250-pound defensive lineman on the Centre football squad, has been named a Blue-Grey All-American athlete and has an opportunity to be a college recruit.

Kyle, an all-state honorable mention last year, has been selected to participate in a televised Blue-Grey All-American Bowl. He described it as a “super bowl for high school players.”

The game will be played at Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, at 12:30 p.m. central standard time Jan. 5 and will be shown live on ESPN3.

Kyle was selected from over 6,750 players who competed in regional scouting combines.

He went to a scouting event at Oklahoma State University early this year, where he was scored on weight lifting, broad jump, and other exercises. He was selected to go to a higher-level event but chose not to go.

In March, he participated in a Sharp Performance event in Wichita and placed in the top 100 in the Midwest as a defensive lineman.

“It was kind of shocking to me to get invited to the national game because I didn’t go to the super combine,” he said. “I was scouted by a retired Baltimore Ravens player.”

Kyle has set up an online account to raise $2,500 or more for the plane ticket and registration. He will make a $500 down payment in a week. He is giving three VIP game tickets to his parents, Tony and Rachel Naerebout, and his stepmother Sandra.

Kyle is excited about the possibility of being recruited to play college football. He will undergo numerous interviews at the national event.

According to the Blue-Grey selection committee, more than 85 percent of All-American athletes who performed in the national bowl the last three years have earned football scholarships.