Manuel set for All-Star Game

Former Westgate standout Tim Manuel’s college career was supposed to have ended back in December when Grambling played for the Southwestern Athletic Conference title.

Not long after, Manuel graduated from the North Louisiana school with a degree in criminal justice and was making plans to attend camps for a chance to play in the National Football League.

While the plans to attend combines are still in the works, Manuel’s college career was extended to one more game as he will play in the inaugural American Heritage Bowl sponsored by the Fight On Foundation Saturday at 8:15 p.m. Central time at California State University-Fullerton’s Titan Field.

“California is great,” said Manuel, who will play with a group of SWAC All-stars against the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) All-stars in a game. The two other conferences participating are the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC).

“The weather this week hasn’t been great. There’s been a lot of rain and clouds.”

Manuel arrived in California on Sunday and has spent the week practicing for the game and taking advantage of sight-seeing.

“We practice in the morning and have free time in the afternoon,” said Manuel, who has been auditioning also for NFL scouts who have watched practice as players prepare for the NFL draft in April and for offering free-agent contracts to players who don’t get drafted. “I haven’t really talked to any scouts yet.”

Manuel will handle placekicking and punting duties for the Southwest team in the Heritage Bowl, which is composed of players from the SWAC and the SIAC.

“It’s kind of funny,” said Manuel. “All of these players were rivals during the season and now we are all playing on the same team.”

In Manuel’s senior season at Grambling, the Tigers finished the year with an 8-4 record and lost 42-31 to Jackson State University in the SWAC Championship game.

“It was all I could ask for,” said Manuel about his senior season at GSU. “We wanted to make it to the SWAC title game and we did. I was disappointed that we didn’t win but it was great to play in the game.”

Manuel converted 13-of-19 field goals for the season including a season best 38 yard kick against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. He also punted 60 times this year for a 39.7 yard average and made 30 of 36 extra point attempts this year.

After the Heritage Bowl, Manuel will pursue his dream of playing in the NFL.

“We had one combine this week and I’m set to go to another combine in Dallas later on this year,” said Manuel, who wasn’t sure when the Dallas combine would take place. “Hopefully, after the draft I’ll get a free agent contract to go into a team’s camp and get a chance to become the kicker.”

Even though he handled both kicking and punting duties in college, Manuel would prefer to be a kicker.

“I hate punting,” said Manuel.

To that end, the GSU grad has been practicing kickoffs and can consistently put the ball in the end zone from 70 yards away.

“I just want a fair shot,” said Manuel. “I know that there is a lot of competition for kickers but I feel that I can make a team if I’m given an opportunity.”

But for now, he’s happy to playing one more game.

“I think that the SWAC has the better athletes,” said Manuel, about the game and his opponents for Saturday. “Everyone is working hard and we just want to win.”