<bt>Twenty-five men, including Burke’s own Andrew Springer, were selected as the Sexiest Men in America and are competing for the sole title, as well as a one-time role in ABC’s popular daytime soap "All My Children."
While ABC was sorting through the hundreds of nationwide applicants, 23-year-old Andrew Springer was either substituting at one of the Fairfax County Public Schools or studying to become a firefighter for Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. The Lake Braddock grad was nothing but shocked when he was chosen as one of the 25 sexiest men in America.
Springer, son of Bernie and Christina Springer, graduated from Lake Braddock Secondary School in 1998 and from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 2002, where he majored in business information technology. Post-graduation life brought Springer to San Diego, Calif., where he lived for a year. In February, he returned to Burke and found a substitute job with Fairfax County Public Schools. While Springer is now in the process of training to become a Fairfax County firefighter, he has no idea where the contest will take him.
Springer said that he was encouraged by his mother, who suggested that he enter the competition. Christina Springer discovered the search when she was watching the ABC soap "All My Children."
"I thought he should give it a stab,” said Christina Springer. “I thought of it as a great opportunity for him.”
While Andrew Springer has never pursued acting as a career, he was very excited about the doors the experience may open for him. After sending in a 30-second home video about why he should be chosen, he was later contacted by ABC, which congratulated him on being named one of the sexiest men in America.
“I sent in a pretty funny tape,” Springer said, “and when they called me, they said they liked my sense of humor and personality. I was shocked that they chose me.”
Springer appeared on "The View” and “Entertainment Tonight” in New York City, along with the other 24 men chosen. His appearance on "The View," which aired on July 14, was his first television experience ever. Springer said that he felt “excited, but confident” on the show.
From July 28 to Aug. 29, ABC will give America’s viewers an opportunity to vote for their favorite semifinalist. Each week, a group of five contestants will have their video aired during ABC Daytime programming. At the end of each week, one contestant will be selected based on online and text-message votes, leaving a group of five finalists. A finalist round, in which the five finalists’ videos will be aired and voted for the week of Sept. 1, will determine the winner of the competition.
The finalist with the greatest number of votes will be announced on-air Sept. 18. The grand prize winner receives an appearance on "All My Children."
“The role is what you make of it,” said Springer. “For me, it’s an opportunity to show what talents I may have and if this [acting] is something I want to pursue. It’s a great opportunity as far as seeing what I can do with my life. Whatever way it goes, it’s an adventure and a great experience.”
Cazzie Golomb, a fellow Lake Braddock grad and friend for nine years, supports Springer's venture.
“This is really good for him," Golomb said. "He’s always wanted to do something beyond the average job or career. He’s really intelligent, so if he wanted to do that, he could. Andrew is just a genuine, unique and funny kind of guy. He’s very real. This competition will never get to his head. I wish him the best of luck.”
When asked what makes him sexy, Springer said, “I would never call myself the sexiest man in America. Anyone who would, has problems. But I think being ‘sexy’ is being confident, having a good personality and being able to laugh at yourself.”
The public can vote online for Springer by visiting www.abc.com, clicking on the keyword “daytime” and on the link for "AMC Sexiest Man in America."