Winston-Salem State University defensive end William Hayes has been invited to play in the Texas vs. The Nation All-Star Game in El Paso on Feb. 2, at 6 p.m. at the Sun Bowl.
The Texas vs. The Nation Game is a post-season college football all-star game that was established in 2006 as part of the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The format of the game pits a team of top-rated college seniors who played college or high school football in Texas against a squad of top-rated seniors from the rest of the nation. Seniors rated in the top 15 at their position by the NFL are eligible to play in the game.
The game is held in El Paso at the Sun Bowl Stadium. The first occurrence of the game was held on Feb. 2, 2007, to conclude the college football season, and was broadcast on CSTV. The 2008 edition of the Texas vs. The Nation game will again be broadcast live on CSTV at 3 p.m. (Mountain Time) from the Sun Bowl in El Paso.
Former Alabama and Texas A&M head football coach Gene Stallings will lead Team Texas in the second annual Texas vs. the Nation all-star bowl. Stallings will go head-to-head with former Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears coach Buddy Ryan in his second year as head coach for Team Nation. Last year, Ryan led Team Nation to a 24-20 victory over Team Texas and looks to defend the Nation’s title this year.
Hayes, a senior who led the Rams in sacks last season, has been training in Naples, Fla., with several other players in preparation for the game.
With the invitation to the game, Hayes will get more exposure with the hopes of getting drafted by an NFL team in April. Scouts from 25 NFL teams came to WSSU during the 2007 season to watch Hayes play.
Hayes led WSSU with 8.5 sacks and was second on the team in total tackles with 78. He also broke up three passes and recovered four fumbles, two of which he returned for touchdowns for the Rams.
Over his past two seasons at WSSU, Hayes, a former star at High Point Andrews, combined for 16 sacks and 129 tackles.
Of the two rosters from last season’s Texas vs. The Nation game, 78 players signed NFL contracts.
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RALEIGH
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced a special game for the 2008 MEAC Basketball Tournament during a press conference Tuesday at the RBC Center in Raleigh. The announcement revealed that the North Carolina Central Eagles and the Winston-Salem State Rams men’s basketball teams will compete in a bonus game on Championship Saturday, March 15, of the 2008 basketball tournament.
“We are excited that the North Carolina Central University and Winston-Salem State University men’s teams will be competing against each other on championship Saturday,” said MEAC Commissioner Dennis E. Thomas.
“We want to galvanize the Eagle and Ram fans base, alumni and students to experience what our tournament is all about. We feel this is an excellent opportunity for both teams to showcase their institutions.”
The bonus game is an added event of the 2008 MEAC Basketball Tournament. The game will tip off between the women’s and men’s championship game on Saturday, March 15 at 4:30 p.m. The matchup between the two teams will be the first since their move up to Division I.
“The MEAC is a great conference with a strong history and tradition and we are honored to participate,” said Ingrid Wicker-McCree, Interim Director of Athletics, North Carolina Central University.
“I am excited about our student-athletes and coaches having the opportunity to participate with Winston-Salem State University. Both schools are making great progress in their transition to Division I and I think this tournament will showcase what we have to offer to the Division I membership.”
“We are excited about this opportunity,” stated Dr. Chico Caldwell, Director of Athletics, of Winston-Salem State University. “When you are a reclassifying institution and in transition to Division I you look for any opportunity to showcase your team and institution. I think it is a great opportunity not only for our basketball team, but also for our institution.” “We said since the beginning of our reclassification that this was not just an athletic transition, this is a transition for our university and an opportunity to showcase our university as a part of the MEAC,” Caldwell said.