Florida Gators showing out at the East-West Shrine Bowl
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Gators are well-represented this week in Las Vegas for the East-West Shrine Bowl. Florida has four players in attendance for the 98th edition of the game and several players are drawing headlines.
The East-West Shrine Bowl™, America’s longest-running college football all-star game, which supports Shriners Children’s®, will be played on Feb. 2, 2023, at the home of the Las Vegas Raiders as part of NFL Pro Bowl week.
Televised nationally during primetime on NFL Network, the East-West Shrine Bowl will kick off from Allegiant Stadium, one of the nation’s premier professional stadiums. The Thursday evening event will bring approximately 125 of the nation’s top college seniors to be coached by NFL staffs for a week of preparation in front of hundreds of NFL scouts, professional agents, and media, all leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft.
For more than 90 years, some of football’s greatest athletes and coaches have contributed to the tradition of the East-West Shrine Bowl. Players like Tom Brady, Walter Payton, Lawrence Taylor, John Elway, Gale Sayers, and Jimmy Garoppolo, played in the East-West Shrine Bowl along with coaches Don Shula, Dick Vermeil, Paul “Bear” Bryant and Jerry Glanville, to name a few, have supported the East-West Shrine Bowl.
Monday’s practice saw Trey Dean haul in two interceptions. Justin Shorter has been one of the standouts this week due to his route running as well.
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was videotaped giving one-on-one instruction to former Gator Brenton Cox Jr.
Amari Burney was originally committed to playing in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. Burney accepted his invitation to the Collegiate Bowl on Dec. 26 but was named to the Shrine Bowl rosters last week. He did not play in the NFLPA game on Saturday, Jan. 28 as a result.
Two former Florida Gators are also in Las Vegas this week. Linebacker Mohamoud Diabate (Utah) and receiver Jacob Copeland (Maryland) are playing in the game.
The Shrine Bowl will give these four players the opportunity to work out in front of and with NFL coaches, scouts, and general managers.
Players weigh in
| Name | Position | Height | Weight | Arm | Hand | Wingspan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trey Dean | Safety | 6-2 5/8 | 211 | 32 1/4 | 9 1/2 | 76 3/4 |
| Justin Shorter | Receiver | 6-3 6/8 | 224 | 33 3/4 | 9 7/8 | 82 1/2 |
| Brenton Cox Jr | EDGE | 6-3 1/8 | 254 | 33 1/4 | 9 1/4 | 82 5/8 |
| Amari Burney | Linebacker | 6-1 3/8 | 233 | 31 3/4 | 9 5/8 | 77 5/8 |
![Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier celebrates with Florida Gators wide receiver Aidan Mizell (11) after a touchdown during the first half at the Orange and Blue spring football game at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, April 13, 2024. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]](https://on3static.com/cdn-cgi/image/height=215,width=393,quality=90,fit=cover,gravity=0.5x0.5/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/04/13155133/Untitled-design-65-2.png)
