Blog

Tyler Starr will get a chance to shine in the longest running college all-star game in the country.

South Dakota's All-American linebacker accepted an invitation to play in the 89th East-West Shrine Game in late November, and will report to St. Petersburg, Fla. on Jan. 11.

Not only is it going to be an opportunity for Starr to showcase his skills against some of the top college players in the country, it's also an audition for what he hopes will be a football-filled future.

The game itself - as well as the week of practice sessions leading up to it - are swarmed by NFL scouts, all of whom view it as an important piece of the league's pre-draft process.

Bottom line: Guys who perform well there tend to get a shot at the next level. In fact, the event's website boasts that 246 former East-West Shrine Game players are currently on NFL rosters.

Starr, who's already drawn a lot of interest from NFL scouts, proved worthy of this opportunity during a standout senior season with the Coyotes.

The Little Rock, Iowa native led the Missouri Valley Football Conference in tackles for loss (15.0), sacks (9.0), and forced fumbles (4) in 2013, earning him Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-MVFC honors.

He was also a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award - which is awarded to the most outstanding defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision - for the second consecutive year.

Starr will be placed on a roster led by either ex-Atlanta Falcons/Houston Oilers head coach Jerry Glanville (East) or former Cleveland Browns/Kansas City Chiefs head coach Romeo Crenel (West).

The 89th East-West Shrine Game will be played at Tropicana Field - home of the Tampa Bay Rays - on Jan. 18 at 3 p.m. CST. It will be broadcast nationally on NFL Network.