Temple University Athletics
Hairston and Williams in Senior Showcase Bowls
1.19.17 | Football
PHILADELPHIA - This weekend, two college football senior showcase bowls take to the airwaves and Temple fans have a rooting interest in both.
Defensive back Nate Hairston will play for the East team (#22) in the East-West Shrine game and Avery Williams will represent Temple in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl playing for the American team (#58).
The 92nd Annual East-West Shrine Game will take place on Saturday, January 21, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on NFL Network.
Hairston, a Fredrick, Md., native, began his career at Temple as a wide receiver before making the conversion to cornerback in 2015. He transitioned into the position well and, in a short time, became one of the best collegiate corners in the nation. In 2016, he started 13 games and collected 27 tackles and two interceptions. Most impressive was his ability to shutdown some of the game's most talented receivers. He helped Temple's defense rank #3 in the nation in total defense, #2 in pass defense and #8 in scoring defense. Â
The 6th Annual NFLPA Collegiate Bowl will kickoff at 4:15 p.m. ET later on Saturday, January 21. The game take place at StubHub Center on the campus of California State and will air on FS1.
Williams, a Baltimore, Md., native, was both the spiritual and production leader of Temple's nationally ranked defense. His bone-crushing hits set the tone on a weekly basis and his 66 tackles led the team. The second team All-American Athletic Conference choice added 9.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Hairston and Williams are among five Temple seniors to play in showcase bowls – tying the most ever for a Temple class (done three times previously – 1945, 2011, 2015). DL Praise Martin-Oguike collected five tackles and a sack in last week's Tropical Bowl. Dion Dawkins and Haason Reddick are scheduled to play in the Senior Bowl on Saturday, January 28.
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Defensive back Nate Hairston will play for the East team (#22) in the East-West Shrine game and Avery Williams will represent Temple in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl playing for the American team (#58).
The 92nd Annual East-West Shrine Game will take place on Saturday, January 21, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on NFL Network.
Hairston, a Fredrick, Md., native, began his career at Temple as a wide receiver before making the conversion to cornerback in 2015. He transitioned into the position well and, in a short time, became one of the best collegiate corners in the nation. In 2016, he started 13 games and collected 27 tackles and two interceptions. Most impressive was his ability to shutdown some of the game's most talented receivers. He helped Temple's defense rank #3 in the nation in total defense, #2 in pass defense and #8 in scoring defense. Â
The 6th Annual NFLPA Collegiate Bowl will kickoff at 4:15 p.m. ET later on Saturday, January 21. The game take place at StubHub Center on the campus of California State and will air on FS1.
Williams, a Baltimore, Md., native, was both the spiritual and production leader of Temple's nationally ranked defense. His bone-crushing hits set the tone on a weekly basis and his 66 tackles led the team. The second team All-American Athletic Conference choice added 9.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Hairston and Williams are among five Temple seniors to play in showcase bowls – tying the most ever for a Temple class (done three times previously – 1945, 2011, 2015). DL Praise Martin-Oguike collected five tackles and a sack in last week's Tropical Bowl. Dion Dawkins and Haason Reddick are scheduled to play in the Senior Bowl on Saturday, January 28.
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