Toledo Punter Brett Kern

Among the players making the trip southwest to participate in the showcase for seniors hoping to either catch the eye of NFL scouts or improve their draft standing will be Toledo punter Brett Kern and offensive lineman John Greco.

Kern, the 2007 MAC Special Teams Player of the Year, led the MAC and was second in the nation with an average of 46.1 yards per punt. Kern was also a finalist for the Ray Guy Award presented annually to the nation's top collegiate punter. The East-West Shrine Game will mark the second postseason all-star appearance for Kern, who was also invited to play in the Hula Bowl in Hawaii on January 12.

Greco is currently rated as the number ten offensive tackle heading into the 2008 NFL Draft by NFL Draft Scout.com and is projected as a third round selection.

Brett Kern is ranked number three at his position and is projected to be a seventh round selection.

The 83rd annual East-West Shrine Game will be played Saturday, January 19 at 7:00 pm ET at the University of Houston's Robertson Stadium and will be televised by ESPN2. The game serves as the primary fundraiser for Shriners Hospitals for Children nationwide.

Coaching the East squad in this year's game will be Dick Vermeil who is the only coach to lead teams to victories in both the Super Bowl and Rose Bowl. He guided the St. Louis Rams over Tennessee in Super Bowl XXXIV in 1999 and also coached the UCLA Bruins to victory in the Rose Bowl. Vermeil was twice named NFL Coach of the Year in addition to receiving NCAA Division 1 Coach of the Year honors.

Mike White will coach the West squad. During his career White was twice named national Coach of the Year (1975 and 1983), directing Cal and UCLA to conference titles and later guided Illinois to a Big Ten title in 1983.

East Roster
West Roster