Miami Central (Miami) linebacker Robert Hicks and defensive back Chandler Jones committed to Louisville in July, and Friday they stuck together to receive their Under Armour All America Game jerseys as part of the American Family Insurance Selection Tour.
MORE: American Family Insurance Selection Tour
Hicks is listed as the No. 9 inside linebacker in the 2018 class, according to ESPN, while Jones is listed as the No. 44 cornerback in the country. They are two reasons the Rockets are 6-1 and listed as the No. 6 team in the Super 25 football rankings going into their game Saturday at Miami Lakes (Hialeah).
Robert Jones presented his mother with the American Family Insurance Dream Champion Award. (Photo: Intersport)
“I’m sticking with Louisville right now,” Hicks said. “I have a couple of fun visits with my teammates, like Southern Miss, but that’s about it.”
Central knocked off last season’s Super 25 champion Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), and the Rockets’ lone loss was to No. 2 IMG Academy (Bradenton).
“The tough schedule we have is to prepare us for state and district,” Hicks said. “Hopefully, we could win a national championship, but we had that loss to IMG.”
The Rockets didn’t win the state championship last season after winning it for four consecutive seasons.
“Honestly, that just added fuel to our fire,” Jones said. “We just regrouped and came out to play this year.”
Chandler Jones presented his parents with the American Family Insurance Dream Champion Award. (Photo: Intersport)
Because of Hurricane Irma, Miami Central was marooned in Las Vegas for 10 days after defeating Bishop Gorman.
“It was crazy that we had to be stranded,” Jones said. “We really bonded together as a group from that.”
Jones said when he and Hicks went on their official visit together to Louisville, they were sold.
“I’m locked into Louisville right now, maybe 99 percent,” Jones said. “When Robert transferred (to Miami Central) and we went on our official visit together, we just fell in love with Louisville,” Jones said. “That was it for us.”
The Under Armour All America Game is scheduled for Jan. 4 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. and will be televised live on ESPN2 at 6 p.m. EST.
