North Carolina Central University

FOOTBALL

     KINGSVILLE, TX -- North Carolina Central University senior wide receiver Torey Ross is among the 42 players that have been named to the East All-Star squad for the 13th annual Whataburger Cactus Bowl game on Friday, Jan. 6, 2006, in Texas A&M-Kingsville's Javelina Stadium.
     The contest will feature the top NCAA Division II football players in the nation. The athletes will be in Kingsville for a week-long schedule of events, building to the Friday night game which will be televised by FOXSports Southwest and covered by the FOXSports Network nationally for the sixth consecutive year. The broadcast will begin at 6 p.m. and the kickoff is set for 6:35 p.m. The players in the game will report on Saturday, Dec. 31. The NCAA Division II All-Star game was held in Javelina Stadium for the fifth time last winter. It had been held in Fargo, N.D., prior to moving to Kingsville in 2001.
     Ross, a native of Jackson, Miss. who transferred from Jackson State University, completed his two-year NCCU career with 122 receptions for 1,485 yards and 19 touchdowns after leading the conference in catches both seasons. His 69 receptions this year is a new single-season school record. Including his two years at Jackson State, Ross amassed 209 catches for 2,697 yards and 28 touchdowns during his college career.
     Joining Ross from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is Winston-Salem State University running back Martin Hicks, who was recognized as the 2005 CIAA Offensive Player of the Year.
     The Shriners Hospitals for Children has been named as the designated charity for the Cactus Bowl. Proceeds from the game go to the Shriners' 22 children's hospitals throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada. The Shriners, a nonprofit charitable organization, finance the 19 orthopedic and burn hospitals, which operate at a cost of $1.54 million a day. Any child 18 years old and under is treated at no charge, and the 
organization also provides transportation and housing of parents during the child's treatment.
     For more information on the 2006 Whataburger Cactus Bowl go to http://www.cactusbowl.org. 

East Team Defensive Roster
Pos. Name    College
(S/CB) QUASI GARY PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE
(S/LB) DEVIN CONWELL ASHLAND UNIVERSITY
(C) BRENT GRIMES SHIPPENSBURG UNIVERSITY
(C) ROBERT DURHAM TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY
(C) BLAKE FARRIS UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA
(C) DEONTE BOLDEN CARSON NEWMAN COLLEGE
(C) MARCUS WRIGHT KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY
(C) JARSON COOK CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY - PENNSYLVANIA
(ILB) ANTHONY ROBINSON CARSON NEWMAN COLLEGE
(ILB) DERRICK WHITE CLARK-ATLANTA UNIVERSITY
(OLB) JOHN DIGIORGIO SAGINAW VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY
(OLB) KELVIN MORRIS UNIVERSITY OF WEST GEORGIA
(OLB) SHAWN HARRIS TUSCULUM COLLEGE
DE LEE VICKERS UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA
DE TIM THOMPSON VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY
DE CHRIS TURNER SOUTHERN ARKANSAS UNIVERSITY
DT CHRIS HERRING SOUTHERN ARKANSAS UNIVERSITY
DT TODD WHITE BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY
DT ROBERT MINNIE SLIPPERY ROCK UNIVERSITY
P JEFF CARPENTER UNIVERSITY OF WEST GEORGIA