LISA SPINK Marques Anderson (left)
represented UCLA at the East-West Shrine Game.
By Adam Karon
Daily Bruin Staff
SAN FRANCISCO “”mdash; It is not every day that a quarterback
from UC Davis fakes a handoff to a running back from San Jose State
before throwing a pass to a wide receiver attending the University
of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada.
But the East-West Shrine Game played on Saturday at Pac Bell
Park in San Francisco is about changes, both on and off the field,
and those who participate come away grateful.
“It was a great experience for me,” UCLA defensive
back Marques Anderson said. “It was chance showcase my
versatility.”
The senior all-star game features athletes from all over the
nation playing together for the first time, often playing outside
their normal positions.
Special rules prohibit motion, blitzing, and rushing on kicks.
This simplifies the game and makes it easier for players to compete
together with minimal practice.
Anderson helped lead his West teammates to a 21-13 victory over
the East.
The fifth-year senior was UCLA’s lone representative at
the contest which provides graduating seniors one last opportunity
to play football before heading to the professional ranks.
Bruin defensive lineman Ken Kocher declined an invitation, and
linebacker Ryan Nece was unable to attend as he recovers from a
broken foot suffered in UCLA’s final game of the season.
The game dates back to 1925 and is played exclusively in the Bay
Area. It benefits 22 Shriner’s Hospitals for Children located
in North America.
Illinois coach Ron Turner commanded the East and Oregon coach
Mike Bellotti directed the West.
“I had a lot of fun coaching these kids,” Bellotti
said of the mixed group under his tutelage. “I was very
pleased with the outcome.”
For Anderson, the game prided a chance to show his skill and
meet players on the teams he has been butting heads with the last
four years. He started and played most of the game at cornerback, a
position which he has not played for two years. Anderson was the
starting safety on UCLA’s defense this year, but he welcomed
the change.
“You get more plays at safety,” he said. “But
at corner you are more on an island.”
East wide receiver Zeke Parker learned the hard way how easy the
transition was for Anderson. Parker, who attends Louisville, was on
the receiving end of a pair of safety-inspired collisions,
unusually powerful for a college cornerback.
“It makes sense,” Parker said when told Anderson
played safety this year. “He sure hit me like a
safety.”
Anderson finished the day with three tackles and pair of pass
defenses. He had a chance to intercept two throws but had the ball
knocked away by his own teammate.
“It’s nice to play on the same side as some of the
guys who’ve really beat us up the past few years,”
California linebacker Scott Fujita said in reference to
Anderson.
The East took an early lead on Florida’s Jeff
Chandler’s 23-yard field goal. But the West stormed back,
scoring two touchdowns and holding the East to just one score to
take a 14-10 lead into the half.
Offensive MVP Deonce Whitaker of San Jose State scored the
West’s first and last touchdowns on the day. Everick Rawls of
Texas intercepted two passes and made four tackles to take home
defensive MVP honors.
The West team got an early scare when star quarterback Joey
Harrington of Oregon went down with a knee injury. He was diagnosed
with a mild sprain of his right medial collateral ligament.
Stanford signal-caller Randy Fasani and UC Davis quarterback J.T.
Sullivan finished the game under center. Harrington finished just
1-of-5 for 23 yards.
Throughout the week athletes visit disabled and challenged
children, getting a taste for the care Shriner’s Hospitals
provide. Fujita said it made him realize how lucky he is. The
charity aspect of the game keeps on-field tempers cool and egos in
check.
“Everybody was real down to earth,” Whitaker said of
his West teammates and new friends. “Nobody walked around
with their heads in the clouds.”