Kaleb Eleby was selected as an MVP by Ms. Alexa Kramer for the Most Valuable Pirate Ceremony on April 27, but the medal wasn’t the only thing that he was presented with when he crossed the auditorium stage.
After Kramer placed the medal around his neck, head football coach Steve Smith came on stage with two members of the United States Army and surprised the junior quarterback with the announcement that he is nominated for the 2018 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. With this nomination, Eleby is considered one of the top 400 players in the nation.
“It’s a great feeling and I had no idea it was going to happen,” Eleby said. “It just shows that my hard work is paying off.”
Although the final selections won’t be made until the 2017 fall season, he said this doesn’t change the way he prepares to play the game.
“It doesn’t change anything at all for next season,” Eleby said. “I’ll still be the same humble player I was before the nomination.”
Last season, the junior quarterback earned a spot on the Suburban XII South All-Conference Second Team. He has already received multiple college offers from schools including Illinois, SIU-Carbondale and Arkansas State.
The team will look to rebound from the 2016 season when it finished with a 3-6 record and Eleby will be one player to watch.