NFL Players Behind All-Star Game

New York Jet wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson said he and several other NFL players who grew up in the inner-city wanted to “give something back.”

That is why Johnson, Lamont Warren, Sam Rogers, Mark Fields and Shaun Williams are helping to underwrite tonight’s “Gridiron War,” a high school football all-star game involving graduating seniors from Los Angeles City Section schools against counterparts from Southern Section schools in Los Angeles County.

Kickoff is at 7 at Santa Monica College.

“It’s a big deal for these kids, especially the kids from the inner city,” said Johnson, who played at Dorsey High, West Los Angeles College and USC before the Jets selected him with the first pick in the 1996 NFL draft. “For some, it might be the one last look that gets them a scholarship. Not everybody is going to make it, so this is also a way for other kids to have one last game.”

Regional summer all-star games are a staple for players from suburban schools, but inner-city players have in recent years lacked the opportunity to show their stuff one last time before moving on to four-year or junior colleges--or before calling it a career. The Los Angeles Prep Senior Bowl was played for 17 years, but it folded just before the 1994 contest when Chris Mims, an NFL player who had contracted to sponsor the game, backed out because of financial problems.

Johnson said he hopes to make the Gridiron War an annual event.

The City Section team, coached by Dorsey’s Paul Knox, features running back Marquis Brignac of Woodland Hills Taft, the City player of the year. All-purpose specialist Ramon Ochoa and linebacker Edgar Cervantes of Bell--both of whom will attend Iowa--Michigan-bound Charles Drake of Westchester, defensive lineman Asa Taylor of Dorsey, running back Bayon Harris of Jefferson and quarterback/defensive back Keenan Carter of Crenshaw are also on the roster.

The Southern Section team, coached by Santa Monica St. Monica’s Norm Lacy, features linebacker Dennis Link of Long Beach Poly, who will attend UCLA; Loyola linebacker Andrew Altman and St. Monica wide receiver James Dunn.