On3, Army National Guard complete Next Greatest Generation Awards featuring top players and distinguished schools

After 10 stops across the country and a whopping 10,474 miles traveled, On3 and the Army National Guard have finished off their Next Greatest Generation tour and awards.

The two honored schools, coaches and players who exemplified excellence both on and off the the playing field during the past year, with stops stretching as far west as southern California and as far east as Maryland.

The 10 schools included:

Asheville (Asheville, NC)
Apalachee (Winder, GA)
Cherokee (Rogersville, TN)
Bryant (Bryant, AR)
Flagstaff (Flagstaff, AZ)
Prospect (Mount Prospect, IL)
Hudson (Hudson, MA)
Peru (Peru, NY)
Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA)
Fort Hill (Cumberland, MD)

At each of the stops, the schools were celebrated with an event honoring the team’s achievements in the community and on the field. There were more than 5,500 Army National Guard shirts given to students and teams, 2,000 ARNG hats given as a prize for competing in activities, and 30 custom JBL speakers were award to participants who set set continuous records in the hanging bar challenge.

They also included a live football commitment announcement at Mater Dei, as well as ceremonies honoring local heroes connected to the programs at Peru, Apalachee and Asheville high schools. In one particularly compelling moment, Apalachee’s team was given the award after Wildcats dedicated their season to the memory of assistant football coach Richard Aspinwall, wearing “Coach A” shirts under their uniforms as a tribute to his lasting impact. The NFL’s Atlanta Falcons also recognized their tribute by wearing Apalachee shirts during warmups before a game last season.

Five athletes earn Army National Guard Players of the Year award

On3 also award named five athletes as Players of the Year, flying them and their families into Nashville and celebrated them through a unique partnership with the Music City Bowl.

The group featured an iconic Nashville weekend, including a celebration dinner, interviews with the Inside Scoop host Josh Newberg in the On3 studios, tickets to the game, an interactive fan experience activation outside Nissan Stadium and culminated in them receiving their Army National Guard Players of the Year award on the field at the Music City Bowl.

Players included:

Talyn Taylor, wide receiver from Geneva, Illinois, committed to the University of Georgia.
TJ Lester, running back from Milton, Georgia, committed to the University of West Georgia.
Max Gerlich, quarterback from Austin, Texas, committed to the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Marco Jones, defensive end from Danville, California, committed to Texas A&M University.
Tyler Atkinson, 5-star linebacker in the Class of 2026 from Grayson, Georgia.