STORM KLEIN of Newark, Ohio, and JACK MEWHORT of Sylvania, Ohio, both incoming freshman at Ohio State University, have been selected to play for USA Football’s 2009 Junior National Team which will compete in the sport’s first junior world championship this summer. Klein, a 6-2, 225-pound linebacker from Licking Valley (Ohio) High School, and Mewhort, a 6-6, 285-pound center from Toledo St. John’s High School, are among 36 graduating high school seniors soon to enter 27 college football programs who will play on America’s first national team in the sport comprised of players aged 19 and under. USA Football’s Junior National Team roster will ultimately consist of 45 student-athletes.

USA Football, an independent non-profit and the sport’s national governing body on youth and amateur levels, has built America’s first Junior National Team in the sport to compete in the eight-nation, four-continent 2009 International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Junior World Championship in Canton, Ohio, from June 27-July 5. National football teams from Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and Sweden have qualified to join the United States to pursue the sport’s first world championship on the international junior level (19 and under).

USA Football’s Junior National Team is led by CHUCK KYLE, head coach of Cleveland St. Ignatius High School, who has led his Wildcats to 10 of Ohio’s past 21 state titles, including two USA TODAY “national championships.”

“It will be an historic moment for American football as great athletes from around the world come to Canton to see who will be crowned Junior World Champion,” Ohio State University head coach JIM TRESSEL said. “It’s great that a couple of Ohio guys and Buckeyes will be able to represent their country in such a competition.  I know it will be an unforgettable experience for them.”

Klein was a three-time all-state performer and was named Ohio’s Gatorade Player of the Year for 2008, rushed for 1,797 yards and 24 touchdowns and recording 48 tackles and two sacks for state semifinalist Licking Valley. Named a Super Prep Midwest Top 20 player, Klein advanced to state in wrestling as a sophomore and also was a baseball standout.

Mewhort, all-Ohio, all-Toledo City League, all-Toledo Blade and Detroit Free Press “Best of the Midwest,” excelled at center, tackle and guard for St. John.  A participant in the Under Armour All-America game, Mewhort was named on Super Prep Midwest’s Top 25 list.

USA Football’s 2009 Junior National Team:

Players selected for USA Football’s Junior National Team were nominated by high school and college coaches from around the country. Roster selections are ultimately determined by USA Football’s coaching staff, which collectively possesses 33 state titles and 155 high school head coaching seasons of experience.

USA Football’s Junior National Team Coaching Staff:

With national football federations in existence worldwide for decades, IFAF, the sport’s international federation, was created in 1998 to organize and further develop the game through global cooperation and competition. All IFAF Junior World Championship games will be played in Canton’s historic Fawcett Stadium, home of the NFL’s annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, adjacent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Action kicks off on Saturday, June 27, and continues on Wednesday, July 1 and Saturday, July 4, before the Championship Game on Sunday, July 5.

All-day general admission IFAF Junior World Championship tickets are $10; reserved tickets to all 12 tournament games are $50 and are available at www.jwcfootball.com and via phone at 1-800-574-5874.

All-inclusive travel packages to Canton with tournament game tickets are available at www.usafootball.com/jwc/tickets or by calling 1-888-310-4255 (Continental U.S. and Canada).

Media Credentials to cover the 2009 IFAF Junior World Championship in Canton may be requested via email at jwcmedia@usafootball.com by June 5. A limited number of Canton hotel rooms are available for media at a discounted rate.

For more information about USA Football’s Junior National Team and the IFAF Junior World Championship, visit usafootball.com and jwcfootball.com, respectively.

About USA Football

Independent non-profit USA Football, the sport’s national governing body on youth and amateur levels, manages U.S. national teams within the sport for international competitions. USA Football hosts more than 100 football training events annually and is comprised of members in all 50 states (coaches, game officials, youth league commissioners). The organization also provides more than $1 million annually in equipment grants and youth league volunteer background check subsidies. USA Football, America’s sole delegate to the International Federation of American Football, which spans 52 nations and five continents, was started by the NFL and NFLPA in 2002 through the NFL Youth Football Fund and is chaired by former U.S. Congressman and professional quarterback Jack Kemp.