Donnie “Trey” Bennett III, Colby John Crosby and Ryan West are headed to the Dallas Cowboys headquarters in Frisco, Texas.
The three Osage high school seniors were selected to play in the first-ever national Native American All-Star Football Game on Jan. 7. The game and training camp is sponsored by the NFL, Nike and the Native American Athletic Foundation (NAAF) and will take place at the Dallas Cowboys world headquarters and practice facility, the Ford Center.
A total of 70 players were selected.
“The Native American All-Star Football Game provides a unique opportunity to celebrate the diversity and talent within our game while fostering the development of the next generation of leaders,” said Roman Oben, NFL vice president of football development in a press release. “Through this partnership, we aim to create a lasting impact by giving Native athletes the same opportunities to succeed both on and off the field. This also reflects the NFL’s commitment to building character, promoting inclusivity and strengthening communities across the country.”
Bennett, Crosby and West will first participate in a training camp from Jan. 3-7, where they will receive mentorship, college preparation and leadership training. The players will also be treated to an awards banquet. The Ford Center is comprised of a multi-purpose, 12,000 seat, indoor stadium as well as the entire Dallas Cowboys football operations and practice fields.
Nike will provide all the uniforms as an ongoing tenet of their Nike N7 operations, said Scott Hanson, Nike brand director.
According to the NAAF, the NFL developed a pilot program in 2021 to create an exhibition game for high school Native players. The exhibition game was hosted by the Minnesota Vikings in 2021 and 2022.
Players
Donnie “Trey” Bennett III is a 6’4, 205 lbs Quarterback for Woodland High School in Fairfax, Okla. The Woodland Cougars just won the Oklahoma Class A-II State Championship. Trey is the son of Donnie and Kimetha Bennett.
Colby John Crosby is a 6’3, 180 lbs Wide Receiver for Broken Arrow High School in Broken Arrow, Okla. The Broken Arrow Tigers finished their season 4-7 in Class 6A-1. Colby is the son of Lindsey Hager.
Ryan West is a 5’11, 180 lbs Free Safety/Wide Receiver at Bethlehem High School in Bardstown, Ky. The Bethlehem Eagles finished their season 5-6 in Class 1A. Ryan is the son of JR and Robin West.