The 2012 East West Shrine game begins practice on January 16, 2011 in St. Petersburg at Tropicana Field. The game features NFL Draft talent from around the country and often features some of the underrated talent from colleges across the country. This year's game will be coached by Brad Childress and Bobby Ross. Most recently Childress was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings while Ross most recently coached the Army Black Knights.
As for the players in the game, the team's are split into being comprised of players from regions of the country; East and West. The East squad is highlighted by some familiar players from the state of Florida in Florida Gators quarterback John Brantley and Miami Hurricanes wide receiver LaRon Byrd. The game will also feature Baylor defensive lineman Nick Jean-Baptiste and Navy defensive lineman Jabaree Tuani on the defensive side of the ball. The rest of the East roster can be found here.
On the West team, some of the marquee players on the offensive side of the ball are Northern Illinois quarterback Chandler Harnish and Northwestern quarterback Dan Persa. The West roster also has a big play wideout from Michigan in Junior Hemingway and the Arkansas Razorbacks leading receiver in Jarius Wright. On the defensive side of the ball the West team will have a pair of defensive standouts from their respective teams in TCU linebacker Tank Carder and Iowa cornerback Shaun Prater. The rest of the West roster can be found here.
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