LEBANON, Tenn.--Five members of the Cumberland football program will participate in the All-American Bowl on December 21 at 12:35 pm at US Bank Stadium, home of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings. Head Coach Tim Mathis joins the game for his fourth season bringing along running back coach Shawn Henry and wide receiver coach Riley Darden. Cumberland running back Jeremiah Bryant and defensive back DeAndre Caldwell are playing in the game.

The All American Bowl was founded in 1996 to allow athletes to compete against the best at their level in an all-star or team game setting at quality sports facilities. The team's rosters are assembled with players from across the NAIA, NCAA and JUCO ranks, allowing the players to showcase their talent on a national stage.

In his lone season for the Phoenix, Jeremiah Bryant had an excellent year with the team as the lead running back. Bryant earned First Team All-Conference honors after rushing for 622 yards and 10 touchdowns. Bryant had two 100 yard games and had two multi-touchdown games. He scored three touchdowns against St. Andrews. Bryant ran for three and caught another in a four touchdown performance at the Cumberlands. 

DeAndre Caldwell played in nine games for the Phoenix as a defensive back. Caldwell recorded 15 tackles, 11 solo and four assisted. He posted one interception picking off a pass in the endzone against Florida Memorial. He also had one pass break up this season. 

Head Coach Tim Mathis earns the nod as one of the head coaches in the bowl where he will be coaching alongside an experienced staff of college and professional coaches. Mathis earned Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year honors after helping lead the Phoenix to a 7-3 mark this season, the best mark in his tenure at CU. The seven-win season was the first time the team had seven wins since 2017. Cumberland also reached as high as No. 22 in the rankings while being ranked or receiving votes in four polls this season, their first time in the Top 25 since 2018. Mathis has also coached in the Inaugural NAIA Football Classic in 2019.

Joining Mathis on the coaching side is running backs coach Shawn Henry and receivers coach Riley Darden. Henry was in charge of a loaded running back room where two players earned All-Conference honors, Bryant as well as Jacob Cornejo. Cornejo also earned MSC Freshman of the Year honors. The Phoenix ran for 253.7 yards on the ground this season with 30 rushing touchdowns. Darden has one receiver earn All-Conference honors, freshman Jarrius Rogers. The receivers averaged 146.8 yards per game and scored 12 touchdowns, a big improvement from a season ago. 

For those who want to watch the action from Minnesota, the game will be streamed here on the All American Bowl's YouTube page. For more information on the game, go to www.allamericanbowl.com.