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Phillips, Huntley Receive East-West Shrine Bowl Nods
January 13, 2021 | Football
Cardinals have two players selected for the first time ever
MUNCIE, Ind. -- Although the East-West Shrine Bowl will not be played this year amidst challenges surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, Ball State had two representatives on the list of players still receiving formal invitations to the annual event.
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Cornerback Antonio Phillips and running back Caleb Huntley were both selected, marking the first time the Cardinals have had two players chosen for the game. They are the eighth and ninth BSU players all-time to be selected and the first since quarterback Keith Wenning in 2013.
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Phillips, a two-time All-MAC selection, finished with eight career interceptions. He picked off passes in the MAC Championship Game and the Offerpad Arizona Bowl -- his final two games in a Ball State uniform – returning his bowl interception for a touchdown. The St. Louis, Missouri, product was on the watch lists for the 2020 Bednarik, Thorpe and Nagurski awards.
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Huntley, also a two-time All-MAC selection, earned the honor this year despite playing in only three games because of injury. He ran for 437 yards and six touchdowns in those three games. The Atlanta, Georgia, native finished his career seventh on Ball State's all-time rushing list with 2,902 yards and 10th in school history with 21 touchdowns. He was on the watch lists for the Doak Walker and Maxwell awards.
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Phillips and Huntley – who have both declared for the NFL Draft – played a big role in the turnaround of the Cardinals' program, capped this season by BSU's first MAC Championship since 1996 and first-ever bowl win. At 7-1 and with wins in its final seven games, Ball State finished the season nationally ranked in both the AP Top 25 and Amway Coaches Poll for the first time ever at No. 23.
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The nation's oldest college football all-star game, the East-West Shrine Bowl dates back to its original contest in 1925. It benefits Shriners Hospitals for Children and its mission to provide advanced specialty care for children. This year's game had been scheduled for January 23, 2021, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, before being canceled.
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Cornerback Antonio Phillips and running back Caleb Huntley were both selected, marking the first time the Cardinals have had two players chosen for the game. They are the eighth and ninth BSU players all-time to be selected and the first since quarterback Keith Wenning in 2013.
Â
Phillips, a two-time All-MAC selection, finished with eight career interceptions. He picked off passes in the MAC Championship Game and the Offerpad Arizona Bowl -- his final two games in a Ball State uniform – returning his bowl interception for a touchdown. The St. Louis, Missouri, product was on the watch lists for the 2020 Bednarik, Thorpe and Nagurski awards.
Â
Huntley, also a two-time All-MAC selection, earned the honor this year despite playing in only three games because of injury. He ran for 437 yards and six touchdowns in those three games. The Atlanta, Georgia, native finished his career seventh on Ball State's all-time rushing list with 2,902 yards and 10th in school history with 21 touchdowns. He was on the watch lists for the Doak Walker and Maxwell awards.
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Phillips and Huntley – who have both declared for the NFL Draft – played a big role in the turnaround of the Cardinals' program, capped this season by BSU's first MAC Championship since 1996 and first-ever bowl win. At 7-1 and with wins in its final seven games, Ball State finished the season nationally ranked in both the AP Top 25 and Amway Coaches Poll for the first time ever at No. 23.
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The nation's oldest college football all-star game, the East-West Shrine Bowl dates back to its original contest in 1925. It benefits Shriners Hospitals for Children and its mission to provide advanced specialty care for children. This year's game had been scheduled for January 23, 2021, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, before being canceled.
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