Tuscaloosa Academy Knight Shines in All-Star Game

Tuscaloosa Academy struggled to find success this season under first-year head coach Todd Bradford but one player still managed to shine in a difficult season. The Knights only won one game in this season complicated by COVID-19 but first-year player, Bo Abston, was able to draw enough attention to be named to the AISA All-Star Game. Abston played well enough in the game to be named AISA West All Stars’ Most Valuable Offensive Back.

Abston, a senior, had not played football since he was in the eighth grade was recruited by Bradford and others as his athletic ability on the basketball and soccer field caught the coach's eye. Abston got the itch to play football this season after taking part in a seven-on-seven camp in the offseason and noticing how effective he was and how much his classmates needed him.

"I went out there and played a little and I was like, 'Hey this is actually pretty fun.' Then all my buddies from school came and they were all like, 'We need you to play.' We only had 20 or 22 players at the beginning of the summer," said Abston. "So coach was like, 'We need players,' and so he came and recruited me and a few of my other friends, so we went out and played."

Abston, in eight games for the Knights hauled in 20 receptions for 429 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior. In the All-Star game he caught three passes for 105 yards and a touchdown to be named West Team Most Valuable Back, unfortunately it wasn't enough as his West team lost to the East team 34-32 at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Al.

"For a guy playing football for the first time, I don't want to act too surprised but I was really impressed with the way he played, he got to play against the best of the best in the all-star game and still had the same success he had all year long. He showed out and got that award and it's good for this program to go out there and do that," said Tuscaloosa Academy Knights coach Todd Bradford.

The senior is now focused on helping the Tuscaloosa Academy Knights defend its basketball state championship and will look forward to playing soccer in the spring. After high school he plans on enrolling at the University of Alabama and pursuing a degree in construction engineering.