The Coaches Gala is a huge part of Kickoff Classic culture. Our coaches donate a massive amount of time to the kids and the program and it is important that we identify and honor that investment. At the Coaches Gala we celebrate the Utah State Champions and provide the coaches their just due. A night for the entire family, we provide hotel rooms, a great dinner, and a marine salute with flight jackets. Without our coaches, none of our seasons or events would be possible so this event and its significance cannot be understated.

The DuPaix, Croshaw, & Edwards award is given to the 1A-6A State Champion coaches in Utah to honor their dedication to the athletes, the sport, and Football in the state of Utah. The DuPaix, Croshaw & Edwards Award was created by GridIron University to recognize “The Old Ball Coach” Coaches who serve as educators, father figures and most importantly, positive influences for young men who come from various walks of life.

Coaches go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure their teams are prepared for Friday nights, with countless hours of film study and schematics instruction to simulate real-time game situations. They might be in the spotlight for two to three hours every Friday night, but their job requires around-the-clock effort. They constantly speak with college coaches to get their players recruited, to ease the financial burden of college tuition for families. They also serve as disciplinarians so young men become model citizens. High school football coaches are counselors, chauffeurs, meal providers, confidants, fundraisers, advocates. The list goes on. More important than the roles they play are the life lessons they teach, to build high-character young people. None of that is in a typical football coach job description, but this is what help make them CHAMPIONS.

The Kickoff Classic is a weekend of celebration for Utah youth through high school football games that provide athletes at various age levels the opportunity to build their football resume while testing their skills against the best in their division. Teams built by invite only will be brought to St. George, Utah three days in advance and will practice a total of 5 times before playing on Saturday, January 1st, 2022.

The first football game will feature the best of the best of SunYFL (3rd-8th grade). Each team will consist of 35 players each and will showcase their skills in the 8th grade All-Star game.

The 9th grade All-Star Football game will consist of Utah talent split across the state and will face a national team composed of players from all over America. For these kids, many of them may be state rivals that have come together to form a great team that creates lifelong bonds and friendship. Participating in this game adds to a recruitment portfolio that can be used during their senior year by testing their abilities by some of the best this country has to offer.

The high school senior game is a salute to the kids preparing to finish their high school careers. We invite the 40 best seniors to represent the state of Utah that will face off against Oklahoma.

As mentioned above, this event is invite only and players will be scouted. If you have interest in one of these games, please send in an edit with included stats.

To get involved with the Kickoff Classic games, the cost is $100 and will include 2 tickets, a jersey that they keep, and will include a pizza party for the players and their family.

In addition to the games, we also will be holding a cheerleading competition with 10 teams invited across Utah to showcase routines during the football games. The winning team will take home a massive trophy and $2500.

Our High School Summit is for juniors preparing for their senior year, and for seniors preparing for their college careers. We invite 4 kids down (2 from each grade) and help the juniors step into becoming leaders of their team, and the seniors get connected with the college guys to help them be ready for their transition into college.

The Coaches Gala is a huge part of Kickoff Classic culture. Our coaches donate a massive amount of time to the kids and the program and it is important that we identify and honor that investment. At the Coaches Gala we celebrate the Utah State Champions and provide the coaches their just due. A night for the entire family, we provide hotel rooms, a great dinner, and a marine salute with flight jackets. Without our coaches, none of our seasons or events would be possible so this event and its significance cannot be understated.

GridIron University Scouting Service is a scouting provider that will change the world of college football recruiting through the use of its professional scouts and video technology. GIU has taken the high school player data base and expanded player information on athletes nation wide. GIU scouts will create and deliver the most detailed evaluation possible including scouring the country year around to watch players live and collect their tapes. A GIU scout will create an evaluation based on their opinions while giving that players respective high school coach the opportunity to express their feelings on a players potential as well. Our service places high school athletes at all levels of collegiate football.

We want to insure our clients that we are using all means available to deliver an evaluation that can ultimately land a high school and junior college football player in the college program that best benefits him. Our comprehensive scouting program is tailored precisely for your football program needs. Our services not only provide you with in-depth information on the student athletes, our video component and web site allow you to access player information and highlight film from any computer. GIU will become an extension of your own coaching staff, a group of scouts that will recruit year around saving you precious time and money. Our goal is to dissect your immediate and long term recruiting needs and build a personalized service around your program. Below are some valuable tips surrounding the recruiting process.

When does the football recruiting process start?

1. The recruiting process started yesterday! Competition for football scholarships is very intense. Coaches identify talented athletes very early in their high school careers—in fact, 84% of Division I prospects are identified by the end of sophomore year. This means the advantage goes to student athletes who are active, informed and have a plan.

How do I get discovered?

2. College coaches scout based on verified information from neutral, independent sources like GIURS. Play your game well and you’ll be discovered—right? Wrong. College football coaches identify prospects using online tools and databases well before they show up to scout a game in person. Occasionally someone else will catch their eye, but they are primarily there for the prospects they have already identified.

How do coaches evaluate prospects?

3. The Internet is your best recruiting tool. College coaches don’t have time to attend every high school football game. The majority of them identify top prospects by watching highlight videos that they request or receive from a trusted third party. This is what will convince a coach to come out and watch you in person.

 Where am I qualified to play? 

4. Less than 1% of student athletes get a full ride to a D-1 school. Roughly 80% of football scholarships are offered by schools that do not compete in NCAA Division I football, so set your expectations accordingly.

What is my coach’s role?

5. Don’t leave your future solely in the hands of your high school coach. Getting recruited is a full-time job, and your football coach has a whole team of players who will be asking for their help. One coach does not have the time, resources, or relationships to get a scholarship for each of his players.

GIU is by far the best, in aiding those who are striving to become the best football player that they can be. All athletes will currently be in the 6th through 11th grades and have demonstrated a serious work ethic and commitment to football as their primary sport. GIU is for the athlete who wants accomplished much or who is expected to accomplish much given his current or projected physical ability.

Developing athletes on and off the field is of the upmost importance to us here at Gridiron University. We focus heavily on brotherhood, and what it means to be part of a team all working towards a common goal. We host events surrounding tournament weeks that help to strengthen those bonds and character traits, such as the Coaches Gala, where we celebrate and show gratitude for our coaches and their families for all of the volunteer time and work they put into the players throughout the year, it’s a top tier event!

We have hosted games with athletes who have gone on to be recruited by highly prestigious schools and even continue onto the NFL, such as Tony Romo, which you can read about here. Playing in our games from a resume standpoint reflects ones ability to compete at the highest level, with and against, the best in the nation.

Among those who are successful there are always shared traits that point the way in their journey. I would argue that one of the most important traits that dictates success is the ability to persevere through adversity. This short story stands as a reminder that it does not matter the circumstance, determination and belief can take you farther than you realize. 

There was a year we were holding a big game in Las Vegas. Because of the location we had a lot of interest from big helmets, we had options to pick from and only 1-2 spots open. I remember this guy had knocked on my door every single day for 2 weeks trying to get his son, Andy Stokes, into the game. Day-in and day-out he was there to the point that I was beginning to expect him to show up. Andy was undoubtedly talented and had accolades to back him up, but as I mentioned we had really big helmets trying to get a spot on the team and the school he was attending wasn’t as notable as some of the talent we were talking with. His father came to my office so many times that I finally told him that Andy had a slot on the team, we were giving him the opportunity. As a father I appreciated what he was doing for his son and I made sure he knew that before he left my office. 

Andy Stokes went on to be drafted in 2005 to the New England Patriots. From there, he transitioned into coaching and won a State Championship at Dixie Highschool and more recently won a State Championship with Timpview High School.

I won’t ever forget the impression Tony left on me as a young man. This event took place back in 2003, at the time Tony was attending Eastern Illinois and had just won the Walter Payton award. I saw him throwing the football and he just looked really really good (of course) but we were building our team for the Paradise Bowl which we held in St. George, Utah. I reached out to his coach and we got him into the game as 1 of 3 Quarterbacks we brought to play on the east side. He wore #17 during the game which looking back now is something I won’t ever forget seeing him play in, especially with the significance of that number in the Eastern Illinois Hall of Fame. 

At the Paradise Bowl we had a week of practice, the game, and then the banquet. Tony did something after the banquet that has stuck with me to this day and in the moment, it told me a lot about Tony’s character. During that entire week I had spent time getting to know Tony’s father who was a really cool guy from Burlington, Wisconsin, super easy to talk to. He was so proud of Tony and grateful that he had the opportunity to come prove himself against some of the best in the nation. Well after the banquet, Tony came up to me and put his hand out to shake my hand.. and he then thanked me for the way I treated his father during that week. I love that he placed value on those interactions and really showed me where his priorities were at. 

Tony was a guy who wanted to distinguish himself from others, and he did a really good job at doing so. The Paradise Bowl served as additional resume information for his career. We had 28 of the 32 NFL teams attend that game, including the Dallas Cowboys. 

2003 Paradise Bowl Roster- 

https://www.deseret.com/2003/1/25/19700696/rosters-for-today-s-2003-paradise-bowl