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Playing in national all-star game a life-changing experience for Mackay football standout

Courtesy Graisyn Chandler
MACKAY — Graisyn Chandler had a December to remember in 2022.
The local athlete and Mackay High School sophomore was invited to play in the Dream All-American Bowl at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Dec. 30. The game spotlights top football prospects from high schools across the country.
Chandler participated in exercises that tested his skills, worked with coaches and mentors that taught him things that will improve his chances of playing football at the next level, and made new friends from across the country. It was the culmination of a memorable football season and an experience that has the potential to influence the long-term course of Chandler’s life.
“It was Mackay and Challis,” Chandler told EastIdahoNews.com. “We were grouped up together this year to make an 8-man team. We struggled a little bit at the beginning of the season. We had a lot of losses but we got a few wins under our belt, we had a blast and we did our jobs.”

Courtesy Graisyn Chandler
In September, Chandler received an email that he had been nominated to play in the Dream All-American Bowl. He redoubled his efforts to keep up with both his school work and his athletic training as the date of the game approached.
The event opened with a showcase where the Dream All-American Bowl staff ran the players through a series of drills. It gave Chandler, who played all over the field as an eight-man football player, a chance to show his versatility.
“It was a really noisy day because we were next to an airport,” said Chandler. “What was weird to me is that both linemen and receivers were going out for passes during warm-ups. I had to grip on 12-man because the last time I played 12-man was when I played Grid Kid.”
After the three-hour showcase, the players practiced so that they could learn the plays they were going to run during the game. The staff ran more practice sessions, first for the seniors and then for the underclassmen. That night, a ring ceremony was held for the players.
“They gave out awards for the essays that were most inspirational and they gave us our rings,” Chandler said. “I call it my NFL ring but the other kids were saying ‘Oh, these are just like our State rings.’ And I was like ‘Really? You’re gonna ruin this for me?”

Courtesy Graisyn Chandler
Joking with his teammates and making new friends was a big part of the experience for Chandler.
“Kids were saying, ‘Oh, we got Domino’s Pizza,” he joked. “‘ I said, ‘I’ve never had Domino’s.’ And they just all turned and stared at me. I was like ‘Sorry, I’m from Idaho. We have taters.’”
Another thing about his experience that Chandler really enjoyed was working with the coaching staff.
“Learning with them was a blast,” he said. “They tell me ‘Do this, this and this’ and they’d walk me through it and help me get to the point where I could do it by myself.”
Walking in to play a game in a real NFL stadium was another memorable moment for Chandler.
“When we walked up to SoFi, I was getting a little nervous,” he said. “I was like ‘Yeah, this is a big stadium.’ and this was going to be my biggest performance. Because in football, you have to do your certain job and make sure you can perform well.”
“I was getting nervous going down all those gosh darn escalators,” he added. “We went down four or five of them until we hit some stairs and then we went onto the field. But as soon as I walked onto that field, it was so surreal. I couldn’t tell you how in awe I was because that’s where actual NFL players have been standing and playing. I was nervous at kickoff and walking onto that field but after that, I was like ‘Alright. Let’s get ready for this game.’”
Chandler said that playing in the Dream All-American Bowl will impact his life for years to come. It will help him with being recruited by colleges and gets him a little closer to his dreams of someday playing in the NFL. And it makes him even more excited for what lies ahead for him.
“I can’t even really explain,” he said. “It’s that feeling that you’re proud of yourself but also you’re so excited for what’s to come.”

Courtesy Graisyn Chandler
The post Playing in national all-star game a life-changing experience for Mackay football standout appeared first on East Idaho News.
Source: eastidahonews.com

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