Most players have spent time growing up dreaming about playing on the big stage of whatever sport they focus on.

For Verbena lineman John Scott, that dream is as close as it has ever been to becoming a reality.

Scott has been invited to play in the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl, which is a postseason showcase for high school recruits played since 1989.

The event holds a couple of annual games at various venues throughout the nation. Scott will take part in the East versus West matchup that will be held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Dec. 18 beginning at 6 p.m.

The teams will be made up of roughly 22 players from Eastern states and 17 from Western states.

Tyler Kelley just completed his first football season as head coach at Verbena. He looks to use Scott’s invite as an example to the underclassmen of the possible results from hard work and dedication.

“It’s good for John, but it’s also good for the school,” Kelley said. “It gives the underclassmen something to look up to and strive for.”

Scott was invited to play in the game after attending regional and super regional combines.

He impressed at a super regional combine at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, in June, where he posted the second fastest 40-meter time among offensive line at 5.28 seconds.

College recruiters and coaches from various schools will be in attendance for the Blue-Grey Bowl, which could help springboard players into additional college offers.

It is not just a game but also a three-day evaluation process of sorts that will include interviews with coaches, as well as two days of practice leading up to the showdown.

Scott is currently looking at Huntingdon College, but that could all change with a breakout performance on the big stage during the Blue-Grey Bowl.

“It can open up anything,” Scott said.

Despite being categorized as an offensive lineman during the super regional combine; Scott will primarily play along the defensive line during the Blue-Grey Bowl.

This is nothing new to Scott, who was a two-way player at Verbena and has seen plenty of action from both sides of the line of scrimmage.

Scott recently finished his senior football season and will also be a member of the Verbena varsity basketball team in order to help stay in shape in preparation for the bowl game.

“It’s about more running and staying in the gym,” Scott said.

Kelley has been around players who have been invited to similar postseason bowls in the past as an assistant coach and shared some simple but important advice with Scott.

“Soak up the experience, because you only get to do it once,” Kelley said. “If you don’t get anything else out of it, it will be an experience that you will remember for the rest of your life.”

Scott’s mom and stepdad will accompany him on the trip, which they are in midst of figuring out the situation of funding the trip.

Anyone interested in helping Scott and his family sponsor the trip can call (205) 294-0231 or email at kathye3b2g@yahoo.com. There is also an account setup at People’s Southern Bank named “John Kenneth C. Scott football sponsors.”

The game will be broadcast by the Impact Football Network and streamed across the country.