Super Bowl to feature Big 33 All-Star game player for 58th straight year

The streak continues. For the 58th straight year, the Super Bowl will feature a player who played in the Big 33 All-Star game.

“That record is, that record is impressive. It just blows your mind,” Garry Cathell said.

Cathell is with Big 33 and the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association. He said he got the title, in part, because of the rich reputation of high school football in Pennsylvania, showcased in the Big 33.

“The Big 33 is an all-star football game. It started in 1957. It’s one of the longest high school all-star games that is still working and thriving,” Cathell said.

Super Bowl LIX will showcase three Big 33 alumni. The first is Kansas City Chief’s General Manager Brett Veach from Mount Carmel High School who played in the 1997 game. Joining him is Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver Jahan Dotson from Nazareth Area High School, who played in the 2018 Big 33 game. And A.J. Woods represented Northwest High School in Germantown, Maryland in the 2019 game. The former University of Pittsburgh star is on the practice squad for the Eagles.

They join an impressive list of past alumni, from Pennsylvania, Ohio and Maryland.

“Our first representative in the Super Bowl was Herb Adderley, who played for the Green Bay Packers. But over the years this list is just amazing. Dan Marino, Joe Montana, Jim Kelly, Joe Namath, Ben Roethlisberger, Tony Dorsett, Curtis Martin, Orlando Pace, Joe Cappelletti, and in the later years, Lavar Arrington, Tyler Boyd, Paul Pasluszny, Ty Law just to name a few,” Cathell said.

The game has changed throughout the years. It started with a Pennsylvania team playing a national all-star team. Then it moved to an East-West game. Since then, the Big 33 has teamed up with Texas, Ohio and currently with Maryland. Game organizers also have made changes throughout the years to deal with college NIT and early enrollment.

“We continue to progress and change and do the things necessary to keep this thing rolling,” Cathell said.

The Big 33 is more than just a football game. It’s a week-long event. Players stay with host families. Cathell said many stay in touch for years.

The event also features all-star cheerleaders, who try out from the state. They, as well as the football players also get a “buddy” for the week.

“We have our buddy team, which are our special needs young men and ladies, who we pair up with our players and cheerleaders. That’s been going on for nearly 30 years. They take them under their wings. I’ve always said this, I don’t know who gets more out of that relationship, the player or the buddy,” Cathell said.

The 2025 Big 33 celebration will be held at Cumberland Valley High School in the Mechanicsburg area in Central Pennsylvania. It’s the second year at this venue. The events start on May 17 with youth cheer and football clinics. The next day is the East-West All-Star Game, which features the players who just missed the cut for the Big 33.

“Then on Wednesday, is when the Big 33 team reports to their host families and we start our practices. They’ll meet their buddies, they’ll do a lot of television interviews. It’s just a great time,” Cathell said.

The Big 33 also has partnered with the NFL to support girl’s flag football. The 2nd annual flag football tournament happens on May 24 and 25. Teams represented by the Washington Commanders, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers played in the 2024 event, with the Philadelphia team beating Pittsburgh in the finals.

The main event happens on May 25, the day before Memorial Day. The game used to be later in the summer but moved to May in 2012.

“It’s been a great move for us because the military is involved. We’ll actually have some military drop the ball in this year with a parachute. We also honor veterans and active military. They get into the game for free,” Cathell said.

For more information on the games, the programs or how you can get involved, visit big33.org

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