Andrew Rich to Play in 86th East-West Shrine Game

PROVO -- BYU senior safety Andrew Rich has accepted an invitation to play in the 86th East-West Shrine Game. The game will be held Jan. 22, 2011, at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla., kicking off at 4 p.m. EST.

A Mountain West Conference First Team selection in 2010, Rich led BYU with 110 tackles and five interceptions, helping the Cougars finish with a 7-6 record and its fourth bowl victory in five years, a 52-24 win over UTEP in the New Mexico Bowl.

Rich will join an elite list of football greats, such as John Elway, Tom Brady, Brett Favre, and 62 NFL Hall of Famers, who have played in the East-West Shrine Game over the years. The East-West Shrine Game is America’s longest-running college all-star football game.

“The East-West Shrine Game has always fielded players among college football’s best,” said East-West Shrine Game Executive Director Harold Richardson. “With all 32 NFL teams represented by GMs, coaches and scouts during game week, our players have the terrific opportunity to showcase their talents and get their first glimpse of life in the NFL ... ‘Just Like on Sunday.’”

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.

“We hope our supporters all over the country will come out and enjoy this exciting game,” said Douglas E. Maxwell, president and CEO of Shriners Hospitals for Children. “Our health care system depends on the generosity of our supporters, and this game is one of our signature events benefitting Shriners Hospitals for Children.”

For more information about the East-West Shrine Game, please visit www.shrinegame.com.

About Shriners Hospitals for Children

Shriners Hospitals for Children is a health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research, and outstanding teaching programs for medical professionals. Children up to age 18 with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment, regardless of the patients’ ability to pay. For more information, please visit www.shrinershospitals.org.