Opportunity of a lifetime: May selected for 2023 Dream All-American Bowl

Christmas had come and gone for Graham eighth grader Angel May and her family, but little did she know that she was about to receive the gift of a lifetime.

Angel is different from other girls her age due to the fact that she’s a football player. And it’s not just touch or flag football – Angel has been playing tackle football with all males while being the only female.

A short time after the holiday, Lisa, Angel’s mother, received news that Angel had been selected out of over 10,000 applicants to participate in the 2023 Dream All-American Bowl. She was one of just 360 student-athletes selected for this opportunity and the only female.

“Shock,” said Lisa about Angel’s reaction when she told her the news. “Definitely shock, excitement.”

Lisa had gone through the process of submitting the application, school records and game footage months prior, without telling Angel about it. While she knew what her daughter was capable of, she wasn’t expecting much due to Angel being a girl in a male-dominated sport. So when the invitation came, Lisa felt as shocked and excited as Angel.

While Angel and her mother found out about this opportunity in late December, the Dream All-American Bowl wasn’t scheduled until the weekend of July 14-16. It’s a three-day event with the first two days containing a skill showcase where players will be put through drills, practices with former NFL players, high school and college coaches, and an awards banquet. The game will be played Sunday, July 16, with college coaches and scouts in attendance.

The practices for the event are held at the University of Texas at Arlington and the game will be at AT&T Stadium, home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. For many players, it will be their first time on a major college campus and their first time in an NFL stadium. Angel, along with many of the participants, will get a chance to look towards their future this weekend.

“Getting a (Division I) offer to a college or something this early,” said Angel when talking about the best case scenario from this weekend. “I mean, I still have several years (before) I get into a college and stuff.”

How did Angel get to where she is now? It all started a few years ago when she watched the kids a grade above her play football and felt an itch to join them.

In fifth grade, Angel played flag football with her school and found success early as her team won a lot of games. Then, in sixth grade, she joined a Little League in Graham and her team, the Chiefs, placed second in the league. Through it all, Angel was the only girl playing with all boys.

Her seventh grade year was her first time playing tackle football and she excelled from the start. Angel played a variety of positions, from offense to defense to kick return, but she seemed to be drawn towards the defensive line – where she could hit people to her heart’s content.

“I love hitting boys. It’s fun, but they’re kind of scary,” Angel said. “I think it’s awesome that I get to play with all males.”

For her coaches and teammates, the fact that Angel is a girl hasn’t put her at a disadvantage. She’s earned all the playing time she gets and is often the one encouraging her teammates to hustle and give more.

Although Angel’s team supports her, lots of opponents have a different attitude when they find out a girl is the one rushing and tackling their players. She’s been on the receiving end of some trash talk as well as been the focus of double and triple team blocks.

One game in particular, the other team didn’t realize Angel was female until the second quarter. From there, however, the intensity ratcheted up, but it didn’t faze her.

“From the second quarter to the end they had three players on her, but she was still getting around,” said Lisa.
“I just don’t give up,” Angel said. “That’s it. I try my hardest.”

That effort and persistence has gotten Angel to where she is today, and the invite to the Dream All-American Bowl is the reward for everything she’s gone through.

Now she has the opportunity to show what she’s made of on one of the biggest stages and she’s confident she’ll succeed.