Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.
Monday, January 1, 2001
BYU’s Edwards Retired Brigham Young University head coach LaVell Edwards will do a curtain call at the 55th annual Hula Bowl.
to bow out with
Hula Bowl
The retiring Cougars' coach
gets one more trip to Hawaii for
all-star game, replacing former
UH assistant JohnsonBy Paul Arnett
Star-BulletinExecutive director Lenny Klompus said today Edwards is replacing Division I-AA national champion head coach Paul Johnson for the college all-star game to be played on Jan. 20.
"Coach Johnson called us last week and said he couldn't miss a week of recruiting like he did last year," Klompus said. "So, we contacted Coach Edwards and he said he would love to come."
Edwards retired this past season after bringing the Cougar program to national prominence with the likes of quarterbacks Steve Young, Jim McMahon and Ty Detmer. He won a national championship in 1984.
Edwards joins Florida State's Bobby Bowden and Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer, who will be the two head coaches in the game. The rosters for this year's teams were released yesterday with Purde University quarterback Drew Brees heading the list.
Klompus announced yesterday that fullback R.J. Bowers had signed a contract as well. The Grove City College back was the leading rusher in all divisions with 7,353 career yards.
Tickets for the 55th Hula Bowl Maui college football all-star classic on Jan. 20 are still available. Hula Bowl tickets still available
Star-Bulletin staff
There are a limited number of sideline seats remaining at $30 apiece. Endzone tickets are $25.
Tickets are available by phone (808-871-4141) or at the Hula Bowl Maui Store in the Maui Mall.
Kick-off time for the game is 3 p.m. at the War Memorial Stadium in Wailuku, Maui.
55th all-star game
When: Saturday, Jan. 20, 3 p.m.
"A few years ago, we brought in Charlie Batch and everybody wanted to talk about Scott Frost and Brian Griese," Klompus said. "Now, Charlie's the starting quarterback for the Detroit Lions."
The other three quarterbacks taking part in this year's fourth Hula Bowl on Maui are Ortege Jenkins of the University of Arizona, Houston's Jason McKinley and Shane Griggs of Idaho State.
The Hula Bowl won't have the Heisman Trophy winner for the first time since moving the game to Maui's War Memorial Stadium. Bowden told Klompus that Seminole quarterback Chris Weinke was headed to the Senior Bowl.
"He's probably going to take part in the workouts that week, but not play in the game itself," Klompus said. "At least, that's what we were told. "
The Senior Bowl also landed Hawaii offensive lineman Kynan Forney, who had verbally committed to play in the Hula Bowl the final week of the regular season.
His change of heart probably cost UH running back James Fenderson any shot at playing in the game because members of the American Football Coaches Association selection committee are miffed with the Hawaii program.
"I find out from (UH assistant coach) Rich Miano on Friday that Forney is going to the Senior Bowl," Klompus said. "We had a conference call with the Hula Bowl selection committee later that day. After what happened, they weren't willing to add James Fenderson to the list.
"I feel badly for the kid. But the timing just wasn't good."
UH offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh said at the time of Forney's Hula Bowl invitation that he still wanted to see if the Senior Bowl would take a look at the talented outside tackle.
Last year, top UH players Jeff Ulbrich, Adrian Klemm and Kaulan Noa were extended invitations to the Hula Bowl, only to turn them down and go to the Senior Bowl, causing something of a public relations problem.
The three UH players expected to play in the game are linebacker Robert Kemfort, lineman Doug Sims and defensive back Dee Miller. The senior safety had an offer from the Senior Bowl early on, but that was taken away after he missed most of the season with a hamstring pull.
Other top talent taking part in the game are Nebraska's Correll Buckhaltar, who rushed for 55 yards and scored a touchdown in the Alamo Bowl win over Northwestern. He averaged 7.1 yards a carry during the regular season.
Texas Christian defensive tackle Charles Fuller, Ohio State wideout Reggie Germany, Cornhusker offensive tackle Russ Hochstein, Iowa wideout Kevin Kasper, Virginia Tech guard Matt Lehr, Oregon defensive end Saul Patu and 2000 Mosi Tatupu Award winner J.T. Thatcher of Oklahoma are also signed on the dotted line.
"We're going to have some more announcements to make after the national championship game," Klompus said. "But right now, we're very happy with how our two teams are shaping up."