Christian McCaffrey and the San Francisco 49ers are headed to the Super Bowl. But the NFL running back’s star power has been on display for a long time.
In eighth grade, McCaffrey started in the inaugural FBU Youth All-American Bowl. Held one day after what was then the U.S. Army All-American Bowl (and is now just the All-American Bowl), the FBU Youth All-American Bowl featured the best middle school talent, broken down by grades, in the nation. The game used a classic East-West team format.
McCaffrey was a running back from Colorado who burst out onto the national stage.
He rattled off several big runs in the middle school all-star game, making the field at the Alamodome his own. Anyone who watched that game saw his star potential.
McCaffrey, who has been named to the Pro Bowl three times, has the first highlight in this package. Also making the cut is former NFL running back Sony Michel:
McCaffrey went on to have a stellar collegiate career at Stanford. He led the NFL in rushing this season (1,429 yards).
In the NFC Championship Game, he had 92 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries as the 49ers booked their ticket to the Super Bowl with a win over the Detroit Lions.