Michigan Players Excel At USA Football Trials

Thirteen Michigan high school football players competed this past weekend at the USA Football National Team Trials outside of Chicago at the McCook Athletic and Exposition Center. All 13 players including Deionte Bruton of Ecorse High School did extremely well. Bruton was considered the top prospect at the trials according to USA Scouts at the event.

Endowed by the NFL and NFLPA in 2002, USA Football is the official youth football development partner of the NFL, its 32 teams and the NFL Players Association and manages U.S. national teams for international competition. USA Football is an independent 501-c-3 non-profit organization that leads the development of the game through educational programs and innovative resources.

USA Football will conduct five 2013 U.S. Under-19 National Team Trials during the off-season. The trial locations are in (1) Austin, Texas (2) Marietta, GA (3) Chicago, IL (4) Monroe, New Jersey (5) Washington D.C.

Players will compete for roster spots on Team USA, which will take part in the fourth annual International Bowl in February 2013 against a World Team comprised of high school-age players spanning four continents. The International Bowl Game competes annually on National Signing Day and is a nationally televised event.

Devin Funchess (Farmington Hills Harrison), Terry Richardson (Detroit Cass Tech), James Ross (Orchard Lake St Mary) and Royce Jenkins-Stone (Detroit Cass Tech) all were selected and played for Team USA in February's 2012 All-Star Game.

The three-day national trials in suburban Chicago included individual position drills, one-on-one and seven-on-seven situations. The trials also provided parents and athletes a variety of off-the-field developmental sessions. Speakers addressed leadership and character-development topics.

"We seek players who possess the skills and qualities befitting of a national team athlete, but whether one earns a Team USA roster spot is only part of what makes our National Trials extraordinary," USA Football Executive Director SCOTT HALLENBECK said. "This event is rooted in preparing young men to be better people as well as better football players when they return to high school in the fall."

Below are the 13 Michigan players that participated in the USA Team Trials outside of Chicago.

Deionte Bruton (Ecorse HS) 5'9 CB

Louie Diaz (Hudsonville HS) 5'10 RB

Gairus Coleman (Farmington Hills Harrison) 5'9 Slot WR

Daniel Hugan (Ann Arbor Huron) 5'11 WR

Joe Shields (Troy Athens) 5'10 CB

ChaQuan Love (Lansing Everett) 5'9 DB

Cam Thomas (South Lyon East) 6'4 QB

Shaye Brown (Linden HS) 6'4 QB

Stanley Lonemeir (Old Redford Academy) 5'10 ATH

Darius Danzy (Southfield HS) 5'11 CB

Marcus Smith (Muskegon HS) 5'10 WR

John Williams (Fenton HS) 5'10 DB

DeJuan James (Portage Central) 5'8 ATH