Pro Football Hall of Famer Will Shields, Pro Bowlers Steven Jackson, Thomas Davis, and Donnie Edwards will serve as the 2022 East-West Shrine Bowl Legends captains. The game features some of college football's best draft-eligible prospects.
The four Legends captains will serve as mentors for players throughout the week and be present on the sidelines on game day. They will also be joined by NFL and East-West Shrine Bowl Legend Charlie Brown. Following a standout college career at South Carolina State, Brown was selected in the eighth round of the 1981 NFL Draft by Washington and helped lead them to a Super Bowl XVII championship. Brown, who was selected to two consecutive Pro Bowls (1982, 1983), regularly supports Shriners Hospitals for Children at events throughout the year.
"NFL Legends Steven Jackson, Thomas Davis, Donnie Edwards and fellow East-West Shrine Game Hall of Famer Will Shields are not only captains for the game, but they are also active participants in the development of these draft-eligible prospects," said Troy Vincent, Sr., NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations. "The next generation of football athletes will benefit all week from these Legends' knowledge of the game and understanding of the evaluation process. This interaction is part of how we celebrate Legends of the past and those of the future."
The 97th East-West Shrine Bowl will kick off at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 3, from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and can be seen on NFL Network.
"Having these four Legends working hands-on with our East-West Shrine Bowl all-stars for the week in Vegas is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for these NFL hopefuls," said Bob Roller, director of national sports management for Shriners Hospitals for Children. "We greatly appreciate their time and commitment to support our charity and to show our all-stars what it takes to succeed on the professional level."
Donnie Edwards attended UCLA and played for the Kansas City Chiefs (1996-2001, 2007-08) and the San Diego Chargers (2002-06) during his 13 seasons as an NFL linebacker. Edwards, a 2002 Pro Bowler and currently a Legends Community Coordinator, has devoted himself full-time to the charitable organizations and institutions that provided him with positive guidance during his youth, including Child Abuse Prevention Foundation, After School All-Stars, Best Defense Foundation, and Jump for Life.
Will Shields never missed a game in his 14 seasons as a guard with the Kansas City Chiefs. He was selected to 12 consecutive Pro Bowls and named to the All-Decade Team from the 2000s. He was the recipient of the Walter Payton Man of the Year award for his work with the Will to Succeed Foundation, a charitable organization which seeks to guide, inspire, empower, and improve the lives of those less fortunate. In 2015, Shields was inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Shields serves as a Central South Region Director for the NFL Legends Community and owns and operates 68 Inside Sports.
Steven Jackson, a first-round selection of the St. Louis Rams in the 2004 NFL Draft, is the Rams' all-time rushing leader with 10,138 yards. A three-time Pro Bowler with a career total of 11,438 yards, he had eight consecutive 1,000-yard seasons (2005–12). Jackson, a Pacific West Region Coordinator for the NFL Legends Community, is an avid photographer and world traveler who documents his journeys on his website.
Thomas Davis, selected 14th overall in the 2005 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers played 14 seasons in Carolina before joining the Los Angeles Chargers in 2019 and Washington Football Team in 2020. Davis has been named to three Pro Bowls (2015-17) and was First-Team All-Pro in 2015. Davis was named the 2014 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year for his work with the Thomas Davis Defending Dreams Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to providing free programs for underprivileged children. Davis is a Legends Community Coordinator.