Where are they now? AFA grad now protects Crush QB

The goal for most athletes is to play their sport professionally. Former Air Force football player Brett Huyser does that in Denver with the Colorado Crush.

This is Huyser's second year with the Crush, Denver's Arena Football League team owned by John Elway. He is on the offensive line protecting quarterback John Dutton.

He also keeps up with his offseason workouts back home on the farm in Rock Valley, Iowa.

"I go back to Rock Valley every October and help my dad harvest," Huyser said. "Spending 14 hours a day on a combine gets pretty tough sometimes."

Huyser was a starting guard for the Falcons for 2001-03. He began his professional career with the Green Bay Blizzards.

"It's always fun when we're winning," Huyser said. "I play games and I get paid to do it. I don't work a 9-5 job year round."

Because of Air Force cutbacks, he was able to transfer to a reserve status, allowing him to play for Colorado last season, but he said he would gladly go overseas if his country needed him.

"I've had friends come home from Iraq and I listen to the stories they tell," he said. "Going over there would just be such an experience."

Huyser makes Colorado Springs his home and in the offseason works for Air Force. The 6-foot-4, 312-pounder is known to his co-workers as the "Big Lieutenant."

A.J. Clark, Monument Academy, 2007
Clark made an impact on the University of South Carolina Upstate baseball team in Spartanburg as a freshman. In his first game, Clark hit a double that brought in the tying run in an eventual 8-3 win in the Spartans' first year at Division I. He has appeared in 26 games at third base and is batting a .282.

While he attended Monument Academy, Clark was a versatile baseball player for Colorado Springs Christian School. During his senior year, he went 5-1 with 48 strikeouts and a 1.04 ERA and as a junior batted .560 with seven doubles and four triples.

John Kress, Liberty, 2004
Kress' success in cross country took him to Navy the past four years. As a senior in 2007, he had Navy's top time three times in seven meets and placed in the top 10 in five.

In February, Kress was one of 59 runners given 2007 U.S. Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association recognition. Kress was the 2007 Patriot League Men's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He finished 16th at the regional championships.

The Midshipman also set standards in the classroom, appearing on the Superintendent's List five times and the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll three times.

Kress led Liberty to back-to-back state cross country titles in 2003 and '04.