National recognition passed on to Red Devils QB

FOOTBALL -- When Hinsdale Central junior John Whitelaw entered high school he didn't even know what position he would play on the football team.

"I wasn't sure if I would be a quarterback or receiver," Whitelaw said. "It was kind of up for grabs, and I wasn't quite sure where I'd fit in best."

Whitelaw ended up being the starting quarterback on the varsity as a sophomore and then guided the Red Devils to their first-ever state-championship game appearance last fall during a record-breaking season.

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound signal caller set single-season school records for passing yards (2,246) and total offense (3,559).

Despite those impressive numbers, Whitelaw wasn't prepared for what happened during a recent school day.

Hinsdale Central football coach Mike DiMatteo walked into the lunchroom with two representatives of the U.S. Army and announced that Whitelaw was nominated for the 2010 U.S. Army All-American Bowl as one of the nation's top 400 high school players.

"My coach made the announcement in front of everyone. It was pretty embarrassing," Whitelaw said. "I had no idea what was going on and it was really just shocking. It's definitely a huge honor. It's awesome, but I couldn't have done it without my teammates and coaches."

In December, 90 players will be chosen to participate in the bowl game, which will be played Jan. 9, 2010 at San Antonio's Alamodome and shown live on NBC.

Whitelaw gained valuable exposure when he attended the three-day U.S. Army National Combine in January, which is held in San Antonio in association with the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Whitelaw then attended the bowl game, which has featured players such as Tim Tebow, Adrian Peterson, Reggie Bush and Vince Young in the past.

"It was a great experience," Whitelaw said. "There were a lot of fans and the game was on TV. I would love to play in the game. It would be awesome to do that and compete against all the best players."

The recent NFL draft had 21 players selected that participated in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl at some point, including eight in the first round.

Whitelaw is hoping the nomination will garner more attention from Division I colleges.

"Hopefully some bigger colleges will start to see what kind of player I am," Whitelaw said. "It's been frustrating the last couple months because they are worried about my size or my arm strength. I'm looking for a good academic school where I can play big-time football."

Harvard is Whitelaw's top choice right now. He attended the spring game and liked what he saw during the visit.

The nomination will not change anything Whitelaw does during his senior season with the Red Devils.

"I think the recognition will come by having success as a team," Whitelaw said. "My focus is on getting bak to the state championship game. It's been an awesome three or four years so far."