Updates

In partnership with the NFL, the East-West Shrine Bowl™ announced the participating coaches for the 2021 East-West Shrine Bowl professional development opportunity. The strengthened program is designed to continue growing the game through the development of personnel and increase engagement with players through all levels of their athletic life cycle.

At the end of the 2020 NFL regular season, clubs nominated active assistant coaches who were reviewed by a panel of NFL Football Operations staff, East-West Shrine Bowl leadership and members of the NFL’s General Managers Advisory Committee to serve as coaches for the 2021 event.

The 96th annual East-West Shrine Bowl was originally scheduled to take place at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida on January 23, 2021, but was cancelled due to COVID-19.

The student-athletes chosen will still participate in various virtual training and informational drills with current NFL coaches and members of the NFL Operations staff. Some 2021 all-stars will also participate in various virtual experiences with Shriners Hospitals for Children® patients in recognition of the game’s nearly century-long commitment to supporting the health care system’s life-changing mission.

Two of the chosen coaches have previously played in the East-West Shrine Bowl: Jerrod Johnson in 2011, and Troy Walters in 2000.

In conjunction with the NFL, virtual training sessions will begin next week.

“This is an outstanding lineup of coaches to work with our East-West Shrine Bowl selections during this trying year,” said Bob Roller, executive director of the East-West Shrine Bowl. “The virtual presentations and forums that we are providing, in partnership with NFL Operations, will be critical for these young men’s professional development as they prepare for the next phase of their football careers.”

The East-West Shrine Bowl is the nation’s oldest all-star game for aspiring college seniors looking to play in the NFL. Ninety-eight players from the 2020 East-West Shrine Bowl signed with an NFL team in the fall of the same year. There are more than 300 Shrine Bowl alumni playing prominent roles on all 32 NFL teams, and 78 Pro Football Hall of Famers have played in the game.

To learn more, please visit shrinebowl.com. For the 2021 East-West Shrine Bowl player roster, please visit shrinebowl.com/players.