WRCBtv.com | Chattanooga News, Weather & SportsVoytik officially accepts invite to US Army All-American Bowl

CLEVELAND, Tenn. (WRCB) -- Chad Voytik is no stranger to the spotlight, but his next opportunity on the big stage will be about a little less business and a little more fun.

The Cleveland High quarterback officially accepted his invitation and roster spot for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in a ceremony on Wednesday. He'll play for the East squad in the 12th annual event in San Antonio on January 7 (1 p.m. ET on WRCB).

"You look at the players who have gone through this, what it stands for and what they require of the players for this game, it was a perfect fit for me and something I found really appealing," Voytik said.

Voytik has spent the last two years criss-crossing the country for camps and combines, including the U.S. Army All-American National Combine as a sophomore and a junior.

Those experiences were more about development and evaluations, and the 6-foot-1, 205-pounder turned heads as he rose up recruiting boards. Now he's excited to enjoy the benefits of his solid showings.

"I'm glad those are over because it's a constant preparation for those," Voytik said. "You've always got to be on the top of your game, and you're always working on improving. Now I get a chance to show it all off.

"We'll have a week of practice leading up to it, but we'll get to do some fun things and get to know these guys from across the country. To meet these guys, learn a new system and then go out there and show it off is going to be really cool."

Voytik committed to Pittsburg in July, choosing the Big East power over offers from Clemson and Louisville, among other BCS conference schools. He threw for just 1,593 yards and 10 touchdowns as Cleveland struggled to a 5-5 record in his senior season, but his ranking didn't suffer in the eyes of most scouts.

He was one of 90 players chosen by a selection committee that includes regional directors from the recruiting website Rivals.com.

"Chad is a talented athlete whose leadership and teamwork qualities have made him a standout at Cleveland High School," said U.S. Army Accessions Command's John Myers said in a statement. "Only the strongest wear the Army colors, and Chad possesses similar mental, emotional and physical strengths to Army Strong Soldiers."

Voytik is the third Chattanooga-area player in the last four years to play in the prestigious all-star event, following Ooltewah's Jacques Smith (2009) and North Jackson's Tana Patrick (2008).

He'll be one of four all-Americans from the state of Tennessee, joining Jackson Christian's Drae Bowles, Memphis East's Brian Kimbrow and Brentwood Academy's Graham Shuler.

"There's four guys from Tennessee this year going, so it's special to be a part of that group from a state that isn't always considered a 'football' state," Voytik said. "I remember getting to watch Jacques play in the game two years ago, and I knew then that I wanted to try to do the same thing."

Former Cleveland head coach E.K. Slaughter, who resigned from his post with the Blue Raiders last month, will accompany Voytik on the trip and take part in a three-day coaching clinic that features NFL and NCAA coaches.