Football’s Riley Chosen for Casino del Sol College All-Star Game in Tucson
TUCSON, Ariz. - Northern Arizona tight end Brian Riley has committed to play in the Casino del Sol College All-Star Game. The game will be played at Kino Stadium in Tucson on Jan. 16 at 6 p.m.
"I am super stoked to play," said Riley. "It is going to be a lot of fun playing with guys from all over the country. I really wanted to play football again and this is a great opportunity to play in Tucson and represent NAU and all the guys up there, especially my senior class. I am really blessed to play at least one more time and will try to as best as I can to put NAU on the map and get to the next level."
Riley, who will begin practice on Jan. 10 for the game, joins Boise State linebacker Aaron Tevis as the first commitments to the game. Both were Southern Arizona high school standouts before heading to college. Tevis played at Canyon del Oro, while Riley was a Catalina Foothills star.
Riley graduated in December 2011 with a double major in marketing and management. He is a two-time All-Big Big Sky selection and saw action in 31 games with two touchdowns in his career. In 2011, he was an All-Big Sky honorable mention selection and played in all 11 games with eight starts. He had two catches for 37 yards
"It is great to have a local flavor to this game," said Mike Feder of the Tucson Padres told the Arizona Daily Star. "It will be a great thrill for Tucson sports fans to see Brian and Aaron close their collegiate careers here."
The Casino del Sol College All-Star Game, formerly known as the Blue-Gray Game and Eastham Energy All-Star Classic, will feature more than 90 college seniors in a game played in front of scouts from more than 30 NFL teams. Former college coaches Houston Nutt and Pat Hill will serve as the game coaches.
The All-Star Game moved to Tucson this year. In 2011 it was played at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. This will be the first of four upcoming college all-star games, including the NFLPA College Football All-Star Game in Los Angeles and the East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg on Jan. 21 and the Senior Bowl in Mobile on Jan. 28.
The game will be broadcast live on FOX Sports Arizona.
The Tucson Padres are now the owners and operators of the Casino Del Sol All-Star Game, a college football showcase to be held at Kino Stadium on Monday, January 16, 2012 at 6:00 p.m. The Tucson Padres recently purchased the rights to the game from AZ Sports Group LLC. The Padres staff has been active in the ticket and game day preparations for months.
Brian will write a blog about his experience for the NAU Athletics website.
All-Time Lumberjack All-Star Game Participants
Blue-Gray Game
Travis Brown, 2000
East-West Shrine Game
Vince Cisterna, 1949
Jeff Lewis, 1995
Dan Finn, 1998
Mark Gould, 2004
Hula Bowl
Micky Penaflor, 1989
Terry Belden, 1994
Archie Amerson, 1997
Paradise Bowl
Marcus King, 2001
Findlay Toyota Las Vegas All-American Classic
Clarence Moore, 2004
Senior Bowl
Tom Gibson, 1987
Jeff Lewis, 1996
King All-American Classic
Greg Wyatt, 1989
Frank Pollack, 1989
Micky Penaflor, 1989
Darrel Jordan, 1989
Mike Sanfrattello, 1990
Texas vs. the Nation
Rhian Madrid, 2007
Dixie Gridiron Classic
Daiveun Curry-Chapman, 2011
FCS Senior Scout Bowl
Khalil Paden, 2011
Casino del Sol College All-Star Game
Brian Riley, 2011
