Takitaki to play in East-West Shrine Game on Saturday

PROVO, Utah – BYU senior linebacker Sione Takitaki will play in the 94th East-West Shrine Game® on Saturday, January 19, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. The game kicks off at 3 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on NFL Network and the East-West Shrine Game Radio Network.

A native of Fontana, California, Takitaki was BYU’s top tackler in 2018, ranking 31st in the nation with 118 tackles. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound linebacker was an athletic and versatile defender for the Cougars, playing both outside and middle linebacker positions as well as defensive end during his career at BYU.

A team captain, Takitaki earned National Defensive Player of the Week honors in 2018 after helping the Cougars defeat No. 6 Wisconsin and finished his season setting a BYU bowl record with career-best 19 tackles in BYU’s bowl victory. He was named to the All-Bowl Team by both USA Today and Sports Illustrated. A Phil Steele All-Independent First Team honoree, Takitaki also led BYU in both unassisted (74) and assisted (44) tackles in 2018 and recorded nine tackles for loss, three sacks, four quarterback hurries, three pass breakups and a forced fumble.

Takitaki will participate for the West team at this year’s Shrine game. An invitation to take part in the annual East-West Shrine Game is an opportunity for the best collegiate football players in the country to showcase their talents in front of top representatives from NFL teams. A strong performance in the game can greatly impact a player’s chances of a career in the NFL. Many of professional football’s most recognized and decorated players, including Tom Brady, Brett Favre and John Elway, played in the East-West Shrine Game.

• More than 100 players from last year’s game signed with professional teams this spring, and more than 70 made final NFL rosters last season.
• On average, more than 300 East-West Shrine Game alumni are on NFL rosters each year.
• Since the game’s inception, 77 former players have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
• More than 200 former players have been named to the College Football Hall of Fame.
• While the teams are divided by East and West, the players come together for the beneficiary of the event, Shriners Hospitals for Children®, an international pediatric specialty health care system that treats children in orthopedics, spinal cord injuries, cleft lift and palate, and burns, regardless of the families’ ability to pay.

Those who would like to support the East-West Shrine Game can attend the event in St. Petersburg on Saturday, Jan. 19 at 3 p.m. ET, tune in to watch the game on NFL Network, or listen live on the East-West Shrine Game Radio Network.

Ticket Information:
• East-West Shrine Game tickets are available for purchase through all tickets.com outlets
• Game tickets are $15 general admission seating (price does not include service fees)

About Shriners Hospitals for Children:
Shriners Hospitals for Children is changing lives every day through innovative pediatric specialty care, world-class research and outstanding medical education. The 22 hospitals in the United States, Canada and Mexico provide advanced care for children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate.

Shriners Hospitals for Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and relies on the generosity of donors. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. To learn more about Shriners Hospitals for Children, please visit shrinershospitalsforchildren.org.