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"Texans Defending Texas"

FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLIC RELEASE:

Texas Special Forces Soldier to play in Medal of Honor Bowl 

AUSTIN, Texas (Jan. 9, 2015) – Staff Sgt. Nate Boyer of the 19th Special Forces Group, Texas Army National Guard, will be playing in the 2nd Annual Medal of Honor Bowl, Jan. 10, 2015, at The Citadel’s Johnson Hagood Stadium in Charleston, S.C.

Boyer, the starting long snapper for the University of Texas football team, served on Active Duty before joining the Texas Army National Guard in 2011, while attending college classes in Austin.  He was a walk-on player with no experience playing football on an organized team.

The Medal of Honor Bowl, which will be Boyer’s final college game, is a premier all-star game that features the nation’s top draft-eligible college football players as projected for the NFL Draft. 

“I'm very lucky to have the chance to play in this game,” Boyer said.  “America is one of the few places on earth where a person has the opportunity to do something like this.”

Boyer, originally from Dublin, Calif., deployed overseas for combat operations three times, twice in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and once in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq.  He returned to Austin from Afghanistan in August and joined the team’s training camp the next 
day.

“Being able to play in an all-star game that honors recipients of the Medal of Honor makes this game very special,” Boyer said.  “The fact that we get to play this game at The Citadel in Charleston adds to the excitement.”

Boyer was named to the 2014 Allstate American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team, which recognizes players whose charitable involvement and community service contributions stand out among all other student-athletes. A 2013 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-American and a nominee in 2014, Boyer is a three-time first-team Academic All-Big 12 choice (2012-14) and a two-time semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy (2013-14). 

Named the 2012-13 Big 12 Sportsperson of the Year, Boyer became the first-ever recipient of the Armed Forces Merit Award that was presented by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA). He was also selected as the recipient of the 2012 Disney Spirit Award, given annually by Disney Sports to college football’s most inspirational figure.  He’s also a nine-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

The Medal of Honor Bowl recognizes recipients of our nation’s highest award for valor and the game’s beneficiaries: the Medal of Honor Museum Foundation, disabled veterans and wounded warriors.

For more information on the Medal of Honor Bowl, go to www.mohbowl.com. 

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The mission of the Texas Military Forces (TXMF) is to provide the Governor and the President with ready and trained forces in support of the citizens of Texas and State and Federal civil/military authorities at home and abroad.

The Texas Military Forces are commanded by the Adjutant General of Texas, the state's senior military official appointed by the governor, and is comprised of the Texas Military Department (formerly the Adjutant General's Department), the Texas Army National Guard (TXARNG), the Texas Air National Guard (TXANG), the Texas State Guard (TXSG) and the Domestic Operations Command (DOMOPS).

For more information about the Texas Military Forces visit our Website at www.txmf.us.