East–West Shrine Bowl

The East–West Shrine Bowl is a postseason college football all-star game that has been played annually since 1925; through January 2019, it was known as the East–West Shrine Game.[2] The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Shriners International, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners Hospitals for Children. The game's slogan is "Strong Legs Run That Weak Legs May Walk".

East–West Shrine Bowl
The game's logo, featuring a young girl recovering from surgery walking with Boston College player Mike Esposito before the 1974 game.[1]
StadiumFord Center at The Star (2024–future)
LocationFrisco, Texas (2024–future)
Previous stadiumsKezar Stadium (1925–1941, 1943–1968, 1971–1973)
Stanford Stadium (1969, 1974–2000)
Tulane Stadium (1942)
Oakland Coliseum (1970)
AT&T Park (2001–2005)
Alamodome (2006)
Reliant Stadium (2007)
Robertson Stadium (2008–2009)
Orlando Citrus Bowl (2010–2011)
Tropicana Field (2012–2020)
Allegiant Stadium (2022–2023)
Previous locationsSan Francisco, California (1925–1941, 1943–1968, 1971–1973, 2001–2005)
New Orleans, Louisiana (1942)
Stanford, California (1969, 1974–2000)
Oakland, California (1971)
San Antonio, Texas (2006)
Houston, Texas (2007–2009)
Orlando, Florida (2010–2011)
St. Petersburg, Florida (2012–2020)
Paradise, Nevada (2022–2023)
Operated1925–present
Sponsors
Shriners (1925–present)
Former names
East–West Shrine Game (1925–2019)
2023 matchup
East vs. West (West 12–3)
2024 matchup
East vs. West (West 26–11)

Teams consist of players from colleges in the Eastern United States vs. the Western United States. Players must be college seniors who are eligible to play for their schools.[3] The game and the practice sessions leading up to it attract dozens of scouts from professional teams. Since 1985, Canadian players playing in Canadian university football have also been invited (even though U Sports and the NCAA play by different football codes). As such, this is the only current bowl or all-star game in either the Canadian or American college football schedules to include players from both Canadian and American universities.

The game has been played in various locations. Most editions have been held in California, although the most recent edition played there was in 2005. In June 2023, organizers announced the game would move to Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, starting with the 2024 edition.

Since 1979, the game has been played in January, and has been played on January 10 or later since 1986. The later game dates allow players from teams whose schools were involved in bowl games to participate, which is important, as these teams often have some of the very best players.

History edit

 
Kickoff of the 2017 game at Tropicana Field

For most of its history, the game was played in the San Francisco Bay Area, usually at San Francisco's Kezar Stadium or Stanford Stadium at Stanford University, with Pacific Bell Park/SBC Park (now Oracle Park) as a host in its final years in Northern California. For more than half of the games played in the Bay Area, entertainment was provided by the marching band from Santa Cruz High School.[4]

In January 1942, the game was played in New Orleans, due to the December 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. This one-year relocation was based upon fears that playing the game on the west coast could make the contest and the stadium a potential target for an additional attack. The game, originally planned for January 1 in San Francisco, was played on January 3 at Tulane Stadium, two days after the 1942 Sugar Bowl was held there.[5]

A similar all-star game, the North–South Shrine Game, was played in Miami from 1948 to 1973, and a final time in Pontiac, Michigan, in 1976.

In 2006, the game moved to Texas, leaving the San Francisco Bay area for the first time since 1942, and was played at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The growth of cable television meant NFL scouts could now view players around the country, making postseason all-star games less important. Even so, the game's organizers relaxed efforts towards attracting top players to the game, meaning many of college football's best players went to the Senior Bowl instead. In 2007, the game relocated to Houston and was played at Reliant Stadium, home of the NFL's Houston Texans, to be closer to one of the 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children; Texas has two Shriner's hospitals, one in Houston and the other in Galveston. The 2008 and 2009 games were held at Robertson Stadium on the campus of the University of Houston.[6][7]

In 2010, the game moved to Florida, and was held at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. Television coverage moved from ESPN/ESPN2 to the NFL Network, starting with the 2011 game.[8] After two years in Orlando, the 2012 game was held at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg; it was the sixth different venue (in five cities and three states) in a span of eight contests.

Starting with the January 2017 game, the NFL now supplies coaching staffs for the game, drawing from assistant coaches of teams who did not advance to the NFL postseason, and the game is now officiated by NFL officials.[9] The game is played under NFL rules, with some restrictions, such as no motion or shifts by the offense, and no stunts or blitzes by the defense.[10] Prior to the January 2020 playing, organizers renamed the game from East–West Shrine Game to East–West Shrine Bowl.[2]

The 2021 edition of the game, which had been scheduled for January 23, was cancelled due to concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11]

In July 2021, it was announced that Allegiant Stadium would host the East–West Shrine Bowl on February 3, 2022; the game was scheduled as part of festivities for the 2022 Pro Bowl being held there the following Sunday.[12]

In June 2023, organizers announced that the game would move to Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, for its 2024 playing.[13]

Game results edit

Through the February 2024 game (99 editions, 98 games played), the West leads all-time with 54 wins to the East's 39 wins, while 5 games have tied.[14][15][16]

† For the December 1925 game, NCAA records list a 7–0 final score,[15] while contemporary newspaper accounts report 6–0.[17]

MVPs edit

The game first named a Most Valuable Player for the January 1945 playing (Bob Waterfield, UCLA quarterback), and named a single MVP through the December 1952 game. Starting with the January 1954 game, two MVPs are selected for each game; they receive the William H. Coffman Award for Most Outstanding Offensive Player, and the E. Jack Spaulding Award for Most Outstanding Defensive Player.[18] Coffman was managing director of the game for 40 years, while Spaulding was one of the organizers of the inaugural playing of the game.[18] MVPs starting with the January 2000 game are listed below; a complete list is provided on the official website.[19]

Year Offensive MVP College Position Defensive MVP College Position
2000 Marcus Knight Michigan WR Erik Flowers Arizona State DE
2001 Steve Smith Utah WR Leo Barnes Southern Mississippi DB
2002 Deonce Whitaker San Jose State RB Everick Rawls Texas LB
2003 Donald Lee Mississippi State TE Tully Banta-Cain Cal DE
2004 Ryan Dinwiddie Boise State QB Brandon Chillar UCLA LB
2005 Stefan LeFors Louisville QB Alex Green Duke S
2006 Reggie McNeal Texas A&M QB James Wyche Syracuse DE
2007 Jeff Rowe Nevada QB Dan Bazuin Central Michigan DE
2008 Josh Johnson San Diego QB Spencer Larsen Arizona LB
2009 Marlon Lucky Nebraska RB Michael Tauiliili Duke LB
2010 Mike Kafka Northwestern QB O'Brien Schofield Wisconsin DE
2011 Delone Carter Syracuse RB Martin Parker Richmond DT
2012 Lennon Creer Louisiana Tech RB Nick Sukay Penn State CB
2013 Chad Bumphis Mississippi State WR Nigel Malone Kansas State CB
2014 Jimmy Garoppolo Eastern Illinois QB Ethan Westbrooks West Texas A&M DE
2015 Marvin Kloss South Florida K Za'Darius Smith Kentucky DE
2016 Vernon Adams Oregon QB Michael Caputo Wisconsin S
2017 Elijah McGuire Louisiana–Lafayette RB Trey Hendrickson Florida Atlantic DE
2018 Daurice Fountain Northern Iowa WR Natrell Jamerson Wisconsin S
2019 Terry Godwin Georgia WR Justin Hollins Oregon LB
2020 Benny LeMay Charlotte RB Luther Kirk Illinois State S
2022 E. J. Perry Brown QB Diego Fagot Navy LB
2023 Jake Moody Michigan K Trey Dean III Florida S
2024 Frank Gore Jr.[20] Southern Miss RB Jarius Monroe[21] Tulane CB

Canadian invitees edit

Although the game is an American football competition, players of Canadian university football, contested under Canadian football rules, have been invited to each game played since 1985, when Calgary Dinos offensive lineman Tom Spoletini played. Usually, Canadian players on the West team come from Canada West schools, while Canadian players on the East team are from the other three Canadian conferences (Ontario University Athletics, Atlantic University Sport, and Quebec Student Sport Federation). One exception was Sean McEwen of the Calgary Dinos (a Canada West school), who played on the East squad in the 2016 game. The only Canadian team that competed under American football rules is the now-defunct Simon Fraser Red Leafs; the only Simon Fraser player to be invited to the game is Ibrahim Khan, who played in 2004 when Simon Fraser still played Canadian football.

Through the 2024 game, the Calgary Dinos have had the most invitees, with 13.

In 2024, the lone Canadian invitee was Qwan'tez Stiggers, an American who did not play college football but instead became a professional player for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.[22][23]

Canadian invitees to the East–West Shrine Bowl 
Year West team East team
1985 Tom Spoletini (OL, Calgary Dinos) (none)
1986 Kent Warnock (DE, Calgary Dinos) Mike Schad (OT, Queen's Gaels)
1987 Leo Groenewegen (OT, UBC Thunderbirds) Louie Godry (OL, Guelph Gryphons)
1988 Craig Watson (OL, Calgary Dinos) Pierre Vercheval (OL, Western Mustangs)
1989 Brent Korte (DE, Alberta Golden Bears) Leroy Blugh (LB, Bishop's Gaiters)
1990 Mark Singer (LB, Alberta Golden Bears) Chris Gioskos (OL, Ottawa Gee-Gees)
1991 Mike Pavelec (OL, Calgary Dinos) Paul Vajda (OL, Concordia Stingers)
1992 Jason Rauhaus (DE, Manitoba Bisons) Chris Morris (OL, Toronto Varsity Blues)
1993 Chris Konrad (DE, Calgary Dinos) Mike O'Shea (LB, Guelph Gryphons)
1994 Travis Serke (OT, Saskatchewan Huskies) Val St. Germain (OG, McGill Redmen)
1995 Rohn Meyer (OG, Calgary Dinos) Matthieu Quiviger (OT, McGill Redmen)
1996 Don Blair (WR, Calgary Dinos) Harry Van Hofwegen (DT, Carleton Ravens)
1997 Ben Fairbrother (OL, Calgary Dinos) Mark Farraway (DL, St. Francis Xavier X-Men)
1998 Bob Beveridge (OL, UBC Thunderbirds) Dave Miller-Johnston (P/K, Concordia Stingers)
1999 Scott Flory (OT, Saskatchewan Huskies) Cameron Legault (DT, Carleton Ravens)
2000 Kevin Lefsrud (OT, Saskatchewan Huskies) Kojo Millington (DE, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks)
2001 Carlo Panaro (OL, Alberta Golden Bears) Randy Chevrier (DL, McGill Redmen)
2002 Jason Clermont (IR, Regina Rams) Kojo Aidoo (RB, McMaster Marauders)
2003 Israel Idonije (DT, Manitoba Bisons) Adam MacDonald (LB, St. Francis Xavier X-Men)
2004 Ibrahim Khan (OL, Simon Fraser Clan football) Carl Gourgues (OL, Laval Rouge et Or)
2005 Nick Johansson (DT, UBC Thunderbirds) Jesse Lumsden (RB, McMaster Marauders)
2006 Daniel Federkeil (DE, Calgary Dinos) Andy Fantuz (WR, Western Mustangs)
2007 Jordan Rempel (OL, Saskatchewan Huskies) Chris Best (OL, Waterloo Warriors)
2008 Dylan Barker (S, Saskatchewan Huskies)
Brendon LaBatte (OG, Regina Rams)
Samuel Giguère (WR, Sherbrooke Vert et Or)
Eric Maranda (LB, Laval Rouge et Or)
2009 Simeon Rottier (OT, Alberta Golden Bears) Etienne Légaré (DT, Laval Rouge et Or)
2010 Jordan Sisco (WR/SB, Regina Rams) Matt Morencie (C, Windsor Lancers)
2011 Anthony Parker (SB, Calgary Dinos) Matt O'Donnell (OT, Queen's Gaels)
2012 Ben Heenan (OT, Saskatchewan Huskies)
Akiem Hicks (DE, Regina Rams)
Arnaud Gascon-Nadon (DE, Laval Rouge et Or)
2013 Kirby Fabien (OL, Calgary Dinos) Matt Sewell (OT, McMaster Marauders)
2014 Evan Gill (DL, Manitoba Bisons) Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (OT, McGill Redmen)
2015 Addison Richards (WR, Regina Rams) Daryl Waud (DL, Western Mustangs)
2016 David Onyemata (DE, Manitoba Bisons) Sean McEwen, (OL, Calgary Dinos)
Charles Vaillancourt (OL, Laval Rouge et Or)
2017 Geoff Gray (OG, Manitoba Bisons) Antony Auclair (TE, Laval Rouge et Or)
2018 Mark Korte (OL, Alberta Golden Bears) Regis Cibasu (WR, Montreal Carabins)
2019 Joel Van Pelt (DT, Calgary Dinos) Mathieu Betts (DE, Laval Rouge et Or)
2020 Carter O'Donnell (OT, Alberta Golden Bears)
Marc-Antoine Dequoy (S, Montreal Carabins)
(none)
2022 Deionte Knight (DL, Western Mustangs) (none)
2023 Theo Benedet (OL, UBC Thunderbirds) (none)
2024 Qwan'tez Stiggers (CB, Toronto Argonauts [CFL]) (none)

Hall of fame edit

A hall of fame was established in 2002, with additional inductees typically named in the weeks leading up to each annual playing.[24] Through 2024 inductees, there are currently 64 members of the hall of fame.

Year Qty Inductees (Game no. played in)
2002 6 Dick Butkus (No. 40), Gerald Ford (No. 10), Eddie LeBaron (No. 25), Ollie Matson (No. 27), Volney Peters (No. 26), Dick Stanfel (No. 26)
2003 6 Hugh McElhenny (No. 28), Craig Morton (No. 40), Merlin Olsen (No. 37), Alan Page (No. 42), Leslie Richter (No. 27), Gene Washington (No. 44)
2004 5 Chris Burford (No. 35), Mike Garrett (No. 41), Gino Marchetti (No. 27), Tom Matte (No. 36), Ed White (No. 44)
2005 1 Pat Tillman (No. 73)
2006 4 Raymond Berry (No. 30), Joe Greene (No. 44), Mike Haynes (No. 51), Bob Lilly (No. 36)
2007 4 Joe DeLamielleure (No. 48), Gale Sayers (No. 40), Paul Warfield (No. 39), Randy White (No. 50)
2008 6 Dave Butz (No. 48), Carl Eller (No. 39), Forrest Gregg (No. 31), E.J. Holub (No. 36), Lenny Moore (No. 31), Larry Wilson (No. 35)
2009 4 Jerry Kramer (No. 33), Charley Taylor (No. 39), Brad Van Pelt (No. 48), Doug Williams (No. 53)
2010 4 Larry Csonka (No. 43), James Groh (No. 21), Jim Walden (No. 35), Kellen Winslow (No. 54)[25]
2011 2 Buck Belue (No. 57), Tom Flick (No. 56)
2012 2 Martín Gramática (No. 74), Joey Harrington (No. 77)
2013 2 Buddy Curry (No. 55), Steve Bartkowski (No. 50)
2014 2 Tony Berti (No. 70), Steve Atwater (No. 64)
2015 2 Tommie Frazier (No. 71), Jim Hanifan (No. 30)
2016 2 Rickey Jackson (No. 56), Chris Chandler (No. 63)
2017 2 Robert Porcher (No. 67), Mark Rypien (No. 61)
2018 3 Brett Favre (No. 66), Willie Roaf (No. 68), Gary Huff (No. 48)[26]
2019 2 Troy Vincent (No. 67), Barry Smith (No. 48)[27]
2020 2 Will Shields (No. 68), Dan Pastorini (No. 46)[28]
2023 1 Nate Burleson (No. 78)[29]
2024 2 Steve Sarkisian (No. 72), Steve Smith Sr. (No. 76)[30]

Inductees range from having played in game No. 10 (January 1935) to game No. 78 (January 2003), with game No. 48 (December 1972) having the most players honored, five.

Pat Tillman Award edit

 
Pat Tillman
 
2011 recipient Josh McNary

Game organizers initiated a Pat Tillman Award in 2005, the year that Tillman was posthumously inducted to the game's hall of fame, to recognize "a player who best exemplifies character, intelligence, sportsmanship and service".[31]

Year Player Pos. College
2005 Morgan Scalley S Utah
2006 Charlie Peprah S Alabama
2007 Kyle Shotwell LB Cal Poly
2008 Justin Tryon CB Arizona State
2009 Collin Mooney FB Army
2010 Mike McLaughlin LB Boston College
2011 Josh McNary LB Army
2012 Tauren Poole RB Tennessee
2013 Keith Pough LB Howard
2014 Gabe Ikard C Oklahoma
2015 Jake Ryan LB Michigan
2016 Keenan Reynolds QB Navy
2017 Weston Steelhammer S Air Force
2018 J. T. Barrett QB Ohio State
2019 Cody Barton LB Utah
2020 James Morgan[32] QB FIU
2022 Jack Coan[33] QB Notre Dame
2023 Derek Parish[34] DE Houston
2024 Trey Taylor[35] S Air Force

Head coaches who played in the game edit

Several Shrine Bowl players have gone on to serve as a head coach in a later Shrine Bowl.[36]

Person As player As coach
Jeff Cravath 1927 USC 1949 USC
Chuck Taylor 1943 Stanford 1954 Stanford
Eddie Crowder 1952 Oklahoma 1971 Colorado
Jim Walden 1960 Wyoming 1985 Washington State
Joe Tiller 1963 Montana State 2005 Purdue

References edit

  1. ^ "Story Behind the Logo". shrinegame.com. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "East-West Shrine football announces name change". shrinegame.com (Press release). September 12, 2019. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  3. ^ "Team Selection". shrinegame.com. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  4. ^ Brown, Susan D. (January 13, 2005). "Dedicated to the band". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Retrieved January 22, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "New Orleans Will Get Shrine Game, Kerr Announces". The Fresno Bee. Fresno, California. Associated Press. January 16, 1941. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
  6. ^ "Utah State's Robinson shines in Shrine Game". Visalia Times-Delta. Visalia, California. Associated Press. January 21, 2008. Retrieved December 25, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Duncan, Chris (January 19, 2009). "Shrine game a 'job interview' for aspiring pros". The News Journal. Wilmington, Delaware. Associated Press. Retrieved December 25, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Future NFL Stars on Display as 86th Annual East-West Shrine Game Debuts on NFL Network in 2011". shrinegame.com (Press release). December 6, 2010. Archived from the original on November 10, 2011 – via Wayback Machine.
  9. ^ "League Partners with East-West Shrine Game for Development". Montgomery Advertiser. Montgomery Alabama. Associated Press. January 1, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "NCAAF 2017 East West Shrine Game". January 20, 2018. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 19, 2019 – via YouTube. at 17:54
  11. ^ a b "2021 East-West Shrine Bowl cancelled due to coronavirus concerns". shrinegame.com (Press release). October 27, 2020. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  12. ^ "East-West Shrine Bowl heads to Las Vegas in 2022". Las Vegas Raiders. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  13. ^ "Historic East-West Shrine Bowl Moves to Ford Center in Frisco in 2024". shrinebowl.com (Press release). June 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  14. ^ "East-West Shrine Classic Games". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on November 1, 2013. Retrieved 2008-12-07 – via Wayback Machine.
  15. ^ a b "Bowl/All Star Game Records" (PDF). ncaa.org. NCAA. 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  16. ^ @ShrineBowl (February 2, 2024). "FINAL. 11 EAST 26 WEST" (Tweet). Retrieved February 1, 2024 – via Twitter.
  17. ^ "West Triumphs Over East in Benefit Gridiron Struggle". Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. Associated Press. December 27, 1925. Retrieved January 14, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
  18. ^ a b "West's Adams, Caputo named Most Outstanding Players". shrinersinternational.org. January 26, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  19. ^ "MVP Award Recipients". shrinebowl.com. 2023. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  20. ^ @garrettpodell (February 2, 2024). "Frank Gore Jr. wins the East-West Shrine Bowl Offensive MVP" (Tweet). Retrieved February 1, 2024 – via Twitter.
  21. ^ @JoeJHoyt (February 2, 2024). "Your Shrine Bowl MVPs: Southern Miss RB Frank Gore Jr. and Tulane's Jarius Monroe" (Tweet). Retrieved February 1, 2024 – via Twitter.
  22. ^ Ambrose, Dominic (January 27, 2024). "Player spotlight: Qwan'tez Stiggers unorthodox journey to the Shrine Bowl". WithTheFirstPick.com. Fansided.
  23. ^ Murray, Jack (January 27, 2024). "Qwan'tez Stiggers: Being NFL Draftee Without CFB Reps Wouldn't be a 'Fairy Tale'". bleacherreport.com. Bleacher Report.
  24. ^ "Hall of Fame Inductees". shrinegame.com. 2017. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  25. ^ Staff Writer (January 27, 2010). "Colgate alum inducted into Shrine Game Hall of Fame". Observer-Dispatch. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  26. ^ "Brett Favre, Willie Roaf and Gary Huff Selected to 2018 East-West Shrine Game Hall of Fame". shrinegame.com (Press release). Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  27. ^ "Troy Vincent Sr. and Barry Smith selected to 2019 East-West Shrine Game Hall of Fame". shrinegame.com (Press release). December 21, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  28. ^ "Will Shields and Dan Pastorini selected to 2020 East-West Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame". shrinegame.com (Press release). December 19, 2019. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  29. ^ "Nate Burleson, Co-Host of CBS Mornings and The NFL Today, Inducted Into East-West Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame". shrinebowl.com (Press release). January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  30. ^ "Steve Sarkisian, Steve Smith, Sr. Selected to East-West Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame". shrinebowl.com (Press release). January 22, 2024. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  31. ^ "Pat Tillman Award". shrinegame.com. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  32. ^ @ShrineBowl (January 18, 2020). "Congratulations to @FIUFootball James Morgan (@Jmoneyyy12) for being named the recipient of the Pat Tillman Award" (Tweet). Retrieved January 18, 2020 – via Twitter.
  33. ^ @NDFootball (February 2, 2022). "Jack Coan. East-West Shrine Bowl Pat Tillman Award" (Tweet). Retrieved February 3, 2023 – via Twitter.
  34. ^ @ShrineBowl (February 1, 2023). "Congratulations Derek Parish of @UHCougarFB, winner of the 2023 #ShrineBowl Pat Tillman Award" (Tweet). Retrieved February 3, 2023 – via Twitter.
  35. ^ "Trey Taylor named East-West Shrine Bowl Pat Tillman Award winner". goairforcefalcons.com. January 31, 2024. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  36. ^ "2005 Rosters" (PDF). shrinegame.com. January 2005. Retrieved January 23, 2018.

External links edit