Senior Nic Caraway joined 99 other high school football players from across the nation on January 8 to compete in the All-American Bowl in San Antonio. The game featured players selected based on skills assessed during football camps and through recruits. Nic is the first player in Bryan High’s history to be selected as an All-American.

“It is such a blessing to be recognized,” Nic said. “I have worked very hard for this and it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I feel like every high school player, if they had the opportunity, should play in.”

Media from across the country covered Nic’s performance as one of the elite players from the All-American weekend. 

“It was so surreal for a small town Bryan guy to get in front of all those cameras,” Nic said. “I was nervous and happy. It was just an exciting moment to get to play in front of all those people and to get to play on TV in front of my family it was amazing.”

Nic has been playing football since the eighth grade and believes that playing football has influenced his life in a profound way. 

“Football has given me a lot of opportunities,” Nic said. “It makes me stay focused and I have made many wonderful friends.” 

As a linebacker, Nic played a crucial role for the Viking defense and worked well with his teammates.

“I like football because it lets me express myself, and I enjoy playing with my friends and teammates,” Nic said. “I love my position because I can do so much like lead the defense, and I tackle and hit other players.”

Head football coach Ross Rogers recognizes Nic as a leader on the team who encourages the other players and puts the team first.

“Nic is very boisterous and he plays with energy,” Rogers said. “You can be a leader vocally, but a lot of times you need to be a leader with how hard you practice.”

Rogers has enjoyed watching Nic play over the years and has appreciated his versatility on the field.

“Nic has the physical tools to play with the best,” Roger said. “He has been playing on the varsity team since his sophomore year and he plays a number of positions. He is one of those guys that sticks out when watching a football game.”

With opportunities like the All-American Bowl game, Rogers expects Nic to continue performing at a high level as he pursues his dreams of playing in the NFL.

“I think that Nic has a lot of potential,” Rogers said. “If he puts his mind to it for the next four or five years he could make it to the NFL. I say ‘could’ only because there are so many great athletes out there, but Nic has got that kind of talent to make it happen.”

Nic approaches life and football the same way. As obstacles have blocked his way over and over again, he has continued to find a way to work through them and overcome them.

“I just put my head down and work,” Nic said. “Whenever something bad happens I don’t cry about it, I just get up and work through it.”

With most media outlets believing Nic stayed under the radar of most colleges, all eyes are on him now as he just moved up and became a four-star defensive end. After signing with Purdue in December, those same broadcasters are calling it a steal for the Boilermakers.

“It is such a blessing to be going to Purdue next year,” Nic said. “I love playing football. I have worked hard for this my whole high school career. I stayed out of trouble, handled my business, and I got the opportunity to play at the next level.”