Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns defensive star Ray Ellis interviewed Alex T. Stone, CEO of the TS Bowl
All-American Game on July 7, 2009
(approx 8 minutes)
Click Play Button Above To Hear The Interview
Ray Ellis, raised in Canton, Ohio has been a Browns’ fan all his life –
which makes sense that he would have a successful career as a Browns Strong Safety. Ellis, a four-year
letterman at Ohio State, won All-Big 10 honors with five interceptions as a senior defensive co-captain.
He went on to play for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1981 and in 1986 joined the Cleveland Browns. Ellis’
career stats include: 427 tackles, 14 interceptions, nine fumbles caused, six recovered fumbles,
three quarterback sacks and three blocked punts. Since leaving the Browns, Ellis has been active in both
business and community, most recently as Chief Operating Officer for People for People, a non-profit
corporation in Philadelphia whose mission is to educate underprivileged youth and young adults.
Ellis has also been active with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Special Olympics, United Way, United Negro
Fund and the National Center for Missing Children. Ellis now resides in Phoenix, AZ with his wife, Darice.
Sophomore reciever Terrance Moore will play in the first junior college football All-America game on Dec. 13.
On Dec. 13, 2008, the first ever national Junior College All-America game will take place at Chandler High School.
Triumphant Sports are expecting over 7,500 fans from all over the United States to attend this football game.
Triumphant Sports has invited 85 of the top players from different Junior colleges to play in the All-American Game.
"The JUCO All-American from California face off with NJCAA All-American Team representing the rest of the country,"
said Brian Daniels, the vice president of public relations for Triumphant Sports.
All proceeds from this event will go to the Boys and Girls Club of the East valley.
There are many different goals for the event, according to CEO of Triumphant Sports, Alex T. Stone.
"The goal is not only to find scholarships for our students athletes, but to promote business, which have vested
interest in assisting a good cause such as this," Stone said.
There will be two members of the Mesa Community College football team participating in
this nation wide event, linebacker Zach Hernandez and wide receiver Terrance Moore.
Many of the top junior-college players in the nation will be at Chandler High School Saturday for the inaugural junior-college
all-star football game.
The Triumphant Sports Bowl, which will be played at 1:15 p.m. on Saturday, will pit a group of players from California
against a nationwide all-star team, including Mesa Community College wide receiver Terrance Moore.
"What we are trying to establish here is the premier college football all-star game in the country," said Alex T. Stone,
the organizer and founder of the Triumphant Sports Bowl via media release. "It’s just great for the whole community, but more
importantly it gives great exposure to the junior college players and gives them something to strive for at the end of the season."
Organizers initially planned for this bowl game last year, scheduling it to be played at Mesa Dobson High School, but it was canceled
due to traveling and scheduling conflicts. "It is our goal to make the bowl a showcase of the best junior-college talent in
America," Stone said. "And with that, we can find scholarships for some very deserving players."
Tickets can be purchased online at www.tsbowl.com.
The top 85 JUCO football players from around nation are scheduled to compete in this inaugural all-star game.
Celebrity guests scheduled to attend include former Arizona Cardinals Pro Bowler Seth Joyner, former Philadelphia Eagles WR
Fred Barnett, and former Dallas Cowboys cornerback Larry Brown (the MVP of Super Bowl XXX). Proceeds benefit the Boys and
Girls Club of the East Valley.
Sat., Dec. 13, 1:15 p.m., 2008
After Alex T. Stone moved to Arizona in 2002, he started to mentor football players at
Mesa Community College.
Stone, a former junior college player in Minnesota who now manages
Triumphant Sports-a sports
marketing company that mentors athletes by helping them reach their athletic and academic goals
- provided guidance to players who were transitioning into top programs.
He mentored athletes such as Marko Mitchell, who left MCC to play for the University of
Nevada-Reno, and Kenny Mahone, who moved upstate to Northern Arizona University.
He could relate to these athletes because he, too, had discovered the difficulty of gaining
recognition at the junior college level.
"When I used to play junior college, I noticed there was nothing out there to show
exposure for junior college players," Stone said. "I still see that they haven't
been highlighted on a national stage."
Stone decided that needed to change, so he organized the inaugural junior college All-American
game to showcase the best junior college talent from across the country to be held Saturday
afternoon at Chandler High School.
"After honestly going through it and seeing these other athletes go through it, I kind
of decided to put it upon myself to make it happen," Stone said.
The Triumphant Sports Bowl, as the game is being called,
will feature the top 84 junior college players as selected by coaches, the media and scouting
services. Most of the athletes participating in the game have committed to four-year schools,
and the game will pit the best players from California against the best from Arizona, Illinois,
Texas, Kansas and Michigan.
The game is preceded by a host of celebrations, including a public ribbon-cutting event at
4 p.m. today at Old Chicago in Chandler and a banquet Friday night at MCC featuring former
NFL players Seth Joyner and Fred Barnett.
Pregame events begin at 11 a.m. Saturday and include free activities for children and an
autograph session with current Minnesota Viking Napoleon Harris.
Tickets for the game cost $15, and proceeds benefit the Joyner-Walker Foundation, a non-profit
organization aimed at providing life skill programs to high school and college students; and
Competing For Life, a foundation that supports physical fitness and healthy lifestyle
choices for today's youth.
Stone chose Chandler as the site of the game not only for the favorable weather but also because
he wanted to give back to the city he now calls home.
"It's been a good fit for my family and myself," said Stone, from Chicago,
"and we want to be able to use our skills to bring Chandler an exciting bowl game every
year."
Stone said the game will allow the athletes to compete against the best talent at their level.
