The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB's Woodfin, Eldridge To Play In Villages Gridiron Classic
1/13/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Jan. 13, 2005
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ----- UAB linebackers Zac Woodfin and Nigel Eldridge will play in The Villages Gridiron Classic Saturday in Orlando.
One of the nation's fastest-growing college football all-star games, The Villages Gridiron Classic will be televised nationally on ESPN2 with kickoff slated for 10:00 a.m. CT.
Woodfin and Eldridge, the Blazers' No. 1 and 2 all-time tacklers, respectively, will play for the South team coached by Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer. The North squad will be coached by Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel. Coaches from the NFL Europe will serve as co-head coaches and assistants for the game.
Players have been in Orlando this week preparing for the game, and practicing in front of NFL scouts representing all 32 teams.
Woodfin and Eldridge recently completed their Blazer careers as they helped lead UAB to the school's first-ever postseason bowl appearance. The Blazers participated in the 2004 Sheraton Hawai'I Bowl in Honolulu.
Woodfin and Eldridge combined for 693 tackles during their careers at UAB with Woodfin, a Prattville, Ala. native, at the top of the list with 372 total stops. Woodfin was twice a first-team All-Conference USA selection after earning second-team honors as a sophomore in 2002.
Eldridge, a product of Montgomery, Ala., started 33 of his final 36 games at UAB and ranks behind Woodfin with 321 career tackles.
The Villages Gridiron Classic has seen 130 alumni of the game drafted into the NFL, while more than 275 players have signed NFL contracts as free agents. The game's alumni include NFL players Daunte Culpepper (Minnesota), Darren Howard (New Orleans), Brad Meester (Jacksonville), Erron Kinney (Tennessee) and Rock Cartwright (Washington).
The Villages Gridiron Classic is the first of two all-star games for Woodfin. He will depart Orlando Sunday for Maui where he will play in the 2005 Hula Bowl on Saturday, Jan. 22.
Blazer nose tackle Shamar Abrams will participate in the Las Vegas All-American Classic on Jan. 22 in Las Vegas, Nev.
Wide receiver Roddy White will put his talents on display at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. on Saturday, Jan. 29.
