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Gatorade® National Football Player of the Year: Johnathan Gray

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Gray as the nation's best high school football player. A national advisory panel comprised of sport-specific experts and sports journalists helped select Gray from more than 1.1 million high school football players nationwide. Gray is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year award, to be presented at a special afternoon ceremony prior to The ESPY Awards in July.

The 5-foot-10, 202-pound senior running back has led the Bearcats to a 12-2 record and a berth in the Class 4A, Division II state semifinals against Corsicana High, scheduled for Dec. 9. Gray rushed for 3,435 yards and 59 touchdowns on 295 carries entering the postseason round of four. The state's returning Gatorade Football Player of the Year, he also hauled in 22 receptions for 458 yards and five scores through 14 games. Gray set state records in career carries, touchdowns, points, 100-yard games and single-season rushing touchdowns. He became the third prep athlete in state history to eclipse 10,000 career rushing yards. He needs 50 points to tie the national prep career scoring record and five TDs to tie the national career touchdowns record.

Serving on his school's student council and as an Aledo High student representative on the Aledo Independent School District Health Committee, Gray has maintained a B average in the classroom. In addition to donating his time as a youth football instructor and a mentor to special education students, he has volunteered on behalf of his church's youth group, an alcohol and drug awareness program and Baylor All Saints Hospital's Helping Hands Foundation.

"The blueprint for a perfect high school running back would include the speed to excel in track, the size to run with power and withstand 20-30 hits per game and the humility to ensure teammates will go to battle with him and put forth their best effort," said Brian Stumpf, ESPNHS Senior Director of Event Development and football analyst. "At 5-foot-10, 200-plus pounds with sprinter speed and constant praise of his teammates, Johnathan Gray is that back. His on-field accomplishments speak for themselves, and his skill set should help him be very successful at the next level."

Gray has verbally committed to play football on an athletic scholarship at the University of Texas beginning in the fall of 2012.

"Without question, Johnathan is deserving of recognition as the nation's best high school football player based on his statistics on the field and the impact his accomplishments have had on Aledo's success," said Gatorade President North America and Global Chief Marketing Officer Sarah Robb O'Hagan. "But he is also a shining example to peers and aspiring young athletes of what a leader and a student-athlete should be. He represents everything we hope for in a Gatorade Player of the Year recipient."

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by ESPNHS and the Gatorade high school sports leadership team, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Former notable Gatorade National Players of the Year include:

    --  Kansas City Royals Cy Young award-winner Zach Grienke
    --  NFL all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith
    --  WNBA all-time leading scorer and rebounder Lisa Leslie
    --  Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Peyton Manning

For more information on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of former winners, and future announcement dates, visit the Gatorade Player of the Year Web site at http://playeroftheyear.gatorade.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GatoradePOY or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Gatorade.

ALL-TIME GATORADE NATIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

      YEAR         NAME                      HIGH SCHOOL                              STATUS

     2011-12  Johnathan Gray         Aledo High School/Aledo, TX                High School Senior
     2010-11  Justin Worley         Northwestern HS/Rock Hill, SC            University of Tennessee
     2009-10  Malcolm Jones  Oaks Christian School/Westlake Village, CA                UCLA
     2008-09 Garrett Gilbert          Lake Travis HS/Austin, TX           Southern Methodist University
     2007-08   Matt Barkley          Mater Dei HS/Santa Ana, CA         University of Southern California
     2006-07  John Brantley         Trinity Catholic HS/Ocala, FL             University of Florida
     2005-06  Mitch Mustain         Springdale HS/Springdale, AR              Georgia Force (Arena)
     2004-05   Greg Paulus     Christian Brothers Academy/Syracuse, NY       Ohio State (Coordinator)
     2003-04    Jeff Byers            Loveland HS/Loveland, CO                  Carolina Panthers
     2002-03   Kyle Wright           Monte Vista HS/Danville, CA                  NFL Free Agent
     2001-02  Lorenzo Booker       St. Bonaventure HS/Ventura, CA               Minnesota Vikings
     2000-01    Joe Mauer          Cretin-Derham Hall/St. Paul, MN               Minnesota Twins
     1999-00   Brock Berlin   Evangel Christian Academy/Shreveport, LA           Retired from NFL
     1998-99   Chris Lewis          Polytechnic HS/Long Beach, CA            Retired from NFL Europe
     1997-98   Ronald Curry            Hampton HS/Hampton, VA                     NFL Free Agent
     1996-97   Travis Minor          Catholic HS/Baton Rouge, LA                  NFL Free Agent
     1995-96    Tim Couch            Leslie County HS/Hyden, KY                  Retired from NFL
     1994-95   Brock Huard            Puyallup HS/Puyallup, WA                   Retired from NFL
     1993-94  Peyton Manning    Isidore Newman School/New Orleans, LA           Indianapolis Colts
     1992-93    Ron Powlus             Berwick HS/Berwick, PA              University of Akron (Coach)
     1991-92   Chris Walsh         Cretin-Derham Hall/St. Paul, MN               Retired from NFL
     1990-91 Marquette Smith       Winter Park HS/Lake Howell, FL          Osceola Ghost Riders (Coach)
     1989-90   Robert Smith             Euclid HS/Euclid, OH                     Retired from NFL
     1988-89   Terry Kirby                Tabb HS/Tabb, VA                       Retired from NFL
     1987-88   Curtis Bray           Gateway HS/Monroeville, PA                 Iowa State (Coach)
     1986-87   Emmitt Smith           Escambia HS/Pensacola, FL                  Retired from NFL
     1985-86   Jeff George       Warren Central HS/Indianapolis, IN              Retired from NFL

SOURCE Gatorade