Ole Miss’ Woods Accepts Invite to East-West Shrine Game

A third member of the Ole Miss football team has accepted an invite to compete in the East-West Shrine Game, Jan. 19, at Tropicana Field, in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Senior defensive back Zedrick Woods will join teammates Sean Rawlings and Jordan Ta’amu in the 94th edition of the college all-star game.

Woods finished the 2018 season second on the team in tackles with 79. He was one of only three Rebels to start all 12 games on the defensive side of the ball. Woods was tied for the team lead with two interceptions and led the SEC in fumble recoveries. His 96-yard scoop and score at Texas A&M this season was the second-longest fumble return in program history and was his second-career TD.

The Lake City, Florida, native tallied 49 career appearances in a Rebel uniform, including 37 starts. He finished his Ole Miss career with 231 total tackles and six interceptions.

For more than 90 years, some of football’s greatest athletes and coaches have contributed to the tradition of the East-West Shrine Game. Players like Gale Sayers, Tom Brady, John Elway, Allan Page, Dick Butkus, Brett Favre, Gino Marchetti and Walter Payton, along with coaches Don Shula, Dick Vermeil, Paul “Bear” Bryant and Jerry Glanville, to name a few, have supported the East-West Shrine Game.

Since 1925, the East-West Shrine Game has benefited Shriners Hospitals for Children and its mission to provide advanced care for children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate, regardless of the families’ ability to pay for services.

Players and coaches visit a local Shriners Hospitals for Children during game week to meet the patients and gain a greater understanding of the importance of the game. During the inspirational and humbling visit, the teams experience a day they will never forget. Whether dancing to music, playing games or simply sharing stories with one another, the instant friendships that form between the patients and players are a testament to our motto of being more than just a game.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports