Brandel, Kunitomo headed to All-American Bowl

ORANGE, Calif. – Chapman University seniors D.J. Brandel and Kali'i Kunitomo have been selected to participate in the All-American Bowl at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn. on Saturday, Dec. 20. The two will wear Stripes in the Stars and Stripes Game, kicking off a 2 p.m. local time. It is the second of three All-American games hosted by the Metrodome that day.

Brandel and Kunitomo are the first two Chapman seniors selected to play in the bowl game in the 17 years since the All-American Bowl began honoring Division II, III, JUCO and minor league football players in 1996. They are the first two Chapman players since Patrick Josten in 2005 (Las Vegas All-American Classic) to be invited to compete in an all-star bowl game.

A first-team All-SCIAC selection at left tackle, Brandel did not allow a quarterback sack in 2012 and was the anchor on an offensive line that helped Chapman rank in the top-10 in the nation in rushing offense (281.9) and total offense (498.6) per game.

Meanwhile, Kunitomo was the Panthers' second-leading receiver this year with 478 yards and four touchdown catches. The senior caught for over 100 yards in two games, including a season-high 152 yards against Puget Sound on Sept. 8. He averaged almost 13 yards per catch in 2012.

The All-American Bowl was founded in 1996 to give athletes the opportunity to compete against the best at their level in an all-star game setting. The first All-American Bowl was played in Minnesota and has since been played at various cities across the country including Atlanta, Miami and Las Vegas. The All-American Bowl has several types of games for different levels of competition that include: DII, DIII, JUCO, Minor League Football, Free Agent, and High School. The participants in the All-American Bowls have been nominated for their outstanding performances throughout their season.

by Doug Aiken
Sports Information Director

All-American Bowl website: http://www.allamericanbowl.com/

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