Holmes to play in East-West Shrine Game
12/3/2015 3:42:00 PM | Football
Montana's second all-time leader in sacks and tackles for loss, Tyrone Holmes, has accepted an invitation to play in the 91st East – West Shrine Game, one of the nation's marquee all-star postseason invitational events.
The East – West Shrine Game is the oldest college all-star event in the country, dating back to its founding in 1925. The game supports the Shriners Hospitals for Children in its mission to help children in need receive medical care.
This year's game is scheduled for January 23, 2016 at Tropicana Field in Tampa, Florida, with a scheduled 2 p.m. kickoff (MT). Fans can tune in to watch live on the NFL Network.
Holmes is the tenth Grizzly of all time to participate in the East – West Shrine Game, with "Wild Bill" Kelly attending the second event of all time in 1926, followed by Tom Davis (1928), Milt Popovich (1938), Eso Naranche (1942), Terry Dillon (1962), Brian Salonen (1983), Scott Gragg (1994), Chase Raynock (1999) and Danny Kistler rounding out the list in 2013.
More than 90 players from last year's game signed with professional teams in the 2015 draft, and more than 70 made final NFL rosters. On average, more than 265 East-West Shrine Game alumni are on NFL rosters each year, according to the organization's website.
Since the game's inception, 72 former players have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and more than 200 have been named to the College Football Hall of Fame.
"It's a huge honor to be invited to play in a game like this," said Holmes. "I'm excited for the opportunity to compete against some of the best players in the country, but I'm even more excited to continue my senior season here at Montana."
Holmes leads all of FCS and FBS football in sacks this season with 17. His nearest competitor at the FBS level hails from Penn State, and has collected 15.5 sacks this season.
Holmes is currently 10th in the FCS in tackles for loss, with a total of 20.5. The national leader at the FBS level (from Clemson) has also collected 20.5 TFLs to date.
Holmes is currently ranked No. 2 in Montana's record books in all-time sacks and tackles for loss. He needs 4.5 more sacks to pass Zack Wagenmann and become Montana's leading pass rusher of all time.
Not only is the game considered one of the top ways for a player to earn a place in the NFL Draft, but a way give back to the community with players and coaches visiting fans at the local Shriners Hospital.
NFL legends such as Gale Sayers, Tom Brady, John Elway, Allan Page, Dick Butkus, Brett Favre, Gino Marchetti and Walter Payton, along with coaches Don Shula, Dick Vermeil, Paul "Bear" Bryant and Jerry Glanville, have all taken part in past East – West Shrine Games.
The 2015 East – West Shrine Game accepted invite list:
OFFENSE
Pos. # First Name Last Name School
OG 69 Ted Karras University of Illinois
WO 8 Geronimo Allison University of Illinois
FB 34 Derek Watt University of Wisconsin
OG 54 Joe Thuney NC State University
TE 81 Steven Scheu Vanderbilt University
OC 72 Marcus Henry Boise State University
WO 1 Keyarris Garrett University of Tulsa
TE 19 Darion Griswold Arkansas State University
OT 74 Fahn Cooper University of Mississippi
OT 59 Joseph Haeg North Dakota State University
TE 87 Kyle Carter Pennsylvania State University
WO 88 Cody Core University of Mississippi
OH 7 Tyler Ervin San Jose State University
WO 22 Nelson Spruce University of Colorado
OH 2 Daniel Lasco University of California, Berkeley
OC 54 Jake Brendel University of California, Los Angeles
WO 1 Tajae Sharpe University of Massachusetts Amherst
OC 57 Robert Kugler Purdue University
OH 24 Storm Woods Oregon State University
QB 12 Jacoby Brissett NC State University
WO 4 Hunter Sharp Utah State University
OH 6 Josh Ferguson University of Illinois
QB 10 Brandon Allen University of Arkansas
QB 7 Nate Sudfeld University of Indiana
OC 61 Graham Glasgow University of Michigan
QB 7 Blake Frohnapfel University of Massachusetts Amherst
TE 86 Kivon Cartwright Colorado State University
OT 77 Taylor Fallin University of Memphis
OT 71 Brandon Shell University of South Carolina
PT 92 Riley Dixon Syracuse University
DEFENSE
Pos. # First Name Last Name School
DC 1 Deiondre' Hall University of Northern Iowa
SAF 9 Tevin Carter University of Utah
LB 51 Jason Fanaika University of Utah
DC 23 Nick Vanhoose Northwestern University
DT 97 Javon Hargrave South Carolina State University
SAF 20 Clayton Fejedelem University of Illinois
DC 8 Lloyd Carrington Arizona State University
LB 26 De'Vondre Campbell University of Minnesota
DE 94 Dean Lowry Northwestern University
DC 23 Taveze Calhoun Mississippi State University
DE 48 Ryan Brown Mississippi State University
DC 2 V'Angelo Bentley University of Illinois
LB 13 James Burgess University of Louisville
DC 11 Juston Burris NC State University
DT 92 Gerald Dixon, Jr. University of South Carolina
DC 2 Ken Crawley University of Colorado
SAF 4 Jamal Golden Georgia Institute of Technology
DC 36 LeShaun Sims Southern Utah University
DE 53 James Cowser Southern Utah University
LB 13 Gionni Paul University of Utah
DC 7 Cre'von Leblanc Florida Atlantic University
DC 29 Briean Boddy-Calhoun University of Minnesota
SAF 7 Michael Caputo University of Wisconsin
SAF 27 Justin Simmons Boston College
DT 92 Luther Maddy Virginia Tech
LB 37 Antwione Williams Georgia Southern University
DC 23 Mike Jordan Missouri Western State University
LB 45 Darien Harris Michigan State University
SAF 2 Jamie Byrd University of South Florida
LB 41 Travis Feeney University of Washington
DE 9 Matthew Judon Grand Valley State University
DC 9 Anthony Brown Purdue University
LB 35 Joe Bolden University of Michigan
DE 91 Tyrone Holmes University of Montana
Players Mentioned
DE
/ Football
Defensive End
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