A total of five Indiana Hoosiers were selected for the 2021 East West Shrine Bowl this season.
The Hoosiers had three offensive selections in lineman Harry Crider and wide receivers Ty Fryfogle and Whop Philyor. On the defensive side of the football, tackle Jerome Johnson and strong safety Marcelino Ball, who has missed the season with injury, were selected. Players were selected based on their potential to make an NFL roster.
On the season, Fryfogle, who was named the Big Ten Conference’s wide receiver of the year, has hauled in 34 receptions for 687 yards and seven touchdowns. Fryfogle became the first player in the history of the Big Ten to post back-to-back 200 yard receiving games, after he caught 11 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns against Michigan State and then reeled in 7 receptions for 218 yards and three touchdowns at Ohio State earlier this year.
Philyor has reeled in 36 catches for 414 yards and three trips to the end zone. For Indiana’s defense, Johnson has recorded 16 tackles, four-and-a-half tackles for loss, one interception and four sacks.
The East-West Shring Bowl is a college football all-star game that benefits Shriners Hospitals for Children, and it is the oldest all-star football game in America, dating back to 1925. However, the 2021 game, which was slated for Jan. 23, 2021 in St. Petersburg, Fla. was canceled due to Covid-19.
“It’s terribly disappointing to have to cancel this year’s game, but there are so many issues involved with bringing in approximately 130 players and 25 NFL coaches from every corner of the United States and Canada,” said Bob Roller, executive director of the East-West Shrine Bowl. “It’s difficult enough currently for these college teams to provide some sort of a bubble during the regular season, but our game occurs after all players have gone home for the holidays. It presented too many potential issues for this one year.”
Over the years, there have been thousands of participants from the East-West Shrine Bowl who have played in the NFL, including 78 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Players who have participated in the game include: Lawrence Taylor, Pat Tillman, Brett Favre and Tom Brady.
Indiana has been represented in recent years by Nick Westbrook, who played in 2020, Nick Linder in 2019 and Tegray Scales, who played in 2018.
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