JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
Bryan London II is one of just a handful of Randolph High School football players in the school's history who cracked the starting lineup as a freshman.
Now, with four years of hard work and all-district accolades behind him, the 17-year-old senior is joining a lineup of the best football players in the San Antonio area as a participant in the 2015 San Antonio Sports All-Star Football Game at 4:30 p.m. Jan. 3 in the Alamodome.
The multi-sport athlete, who has earned all-district honors as a linebacker and running back, will join 100 other high school seniors selected for the all-star game, which will follow the 2015 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, a showcase for the best high school players in the country. Players for the San Antonio Sports all-star game were nominated by their high school coaches and chosen by a selection committee.
"I was pretty excited to be chosen for this game," Bryan said. "It gives me another opportunity to show what I can do - that I can play with the bigger schools."
Bryan will play for the East squad coached by Reagan High School's David Wetzel. Jerren Scott, a running back at Cole High School in the Fort Sam Houston Independent School District, will also represent the East team.
Pete Wesp, Randolph's head coach for the past two decades, saw Bryan's potential early.
"He started here as a freshman and he's been a starting linebacker ever since," he said. "There are only so many players who start their freshman year - maybe five in all my years here. That speaks volumes."
Wesp said Bryan has progressed as a football player and team leader.
"He's a good role model," he said. "He has great work habits and the ability to get the other kids to work hard. He inspires them."
Bryan, who was defensive most valuable player in District 14-3A this year, said he assumed a leadership role in his junior year.
"I had a big sophomore year, so it was easy to make that transition," he said.
Bryan led the Ro-Hawks in tackles as a sophomore despite missing three games. He led the team in tackles, rushing and receiving as a junior, and in tackles, interceptions and forced fumbles this year.
Bryan has been a two-way performer for the Ro-Hawks, but he favors playing linebacker.
"On defense you can be relentless and play fearlessly," he said.
Bryan started playing football when he was 6 years old.
"I was an offensive lineman till eighth grade," he said. "I picked up basketball in seventh grade, trimmed down and got more athletic."
Bryan has also excelled as a basketball player at Randolph, earning all-star honors as a junior. In addition, he competes on the track team and in power lifting.
Bryan is the son of retired Army Sergeant 1st Class Bryan London, an inspector general at the U.S. Army Medical Department Office of the Inspector General and Kimberly London, a nurse consultant at San Antonio Military Medical Center. He also has four sisters, including Bryttney, a junior at Randolph who plays volleyball.
A new chapter in Bryan's life will begin after graduation. He's verbally committed to play football at Texas State University in San Marcos, where he will major in civil engineering and minor in kinesiology.