Murphy and Robinson in East-West Shrine Game Saturday (January 19)

Utah State football players Shawn Murphy and Kevin Robinson will be playing in the 83rd East-West Shrine Game this Saturday, Jan. 19, at 5 p.m. (MT) at the University of Houston's John O'Quinn Field at Robertson Stadium in Houston, Texas. It will be televised live on ESPN2 (Comcast Ch. 36 in Cache Valley).

Murphy, an offensive guard, and Robinson, a wide receiver/kick returner, become the first Utah State players selected to the East-West Shrine Game since Emmett White in 2002. Murphy is the first Aggie offensive lineman chosen to the all-star game since center Tim Ruiz in 1986.

 

The USU duo are two of six players from the Western Athletic Conference selected, joining defensive back Dwight Lowery of San Jose State, offensive lineman Ryan Wendell of Fresno State, offensive lineman Dan Gore of Boise State and wide receiver Jason Rivers of Hawai'i. BYU linebacker Bryan Kehl and Weber State offensive lineman David Hale join Murphy and Robinson as players from the state of Utah.

 

Murphy, a native of Alpine, Utah (Lone Peak HS/Dixie JC), earned second-team all-WAC honors at offensive line. After playing offensive tackle last season, Murphy made the transition to offensive guard this year, where he did not give up any sacks, grading out at a team-leading 84 percent. Murphy also led the team with 137 knockdowns. He started all 12 games this season and all 24 during his USU career, playing in all but six offensive snaps this season. Murphy anchored an Aggie offensive line that accumulated 1,499 rushing yards, the most for a USU offense since 1999 when the Aggies had 1,941 rushing yards. Utah State had 3,335 yards of total offense.

 

Murphy spent two years at Utah State after transferring from Dixie State Junior College.

This is the third year in a row for an Aggie offensive lineman to earn second-team all-WAC honors and the 10th time in the last 12 years that a USU offensive lineman has received all-conference accolades.

 

Robinson, a native of Fresno, Calif. (Hoover HS), ended the season leading the WAC in all-purpose yards and was eighth in the country with 193.08 all-purpose ypg. Robinson also led both the WAC and the NCAA with an 18.9 yards per punt return average. He had one punt return for a TD this season, a 70-yarder against Nevada on Oct. 20. For his career, Robinson had four punt returns for a TD.

 

Robinson also ranked third in the league and sixth in the nation in kickoff returns with a 29.3 ypr average and had three kick returns for TD, only one of two players in the country to do so. He also is the only player in the country with four combined returns (three kickoff and one punt) this season.

 

He is the only player listed on both lists among the nation's top 17 players in both return categories.

 

Robinson also is the NCAA career all-purpose yards per play record holder, with a 16.16 average on 6,479 career yards in 401 career plays.

 

With 2,317 all-purpose yards this season, Robinson ranks No. 2 on the single-season WAC all-purpose yards list, 274 yards shy of the record set by Fresno State's Bernard Berrian (2001) and passing football greats LaDainian Tomlinson of TCU with 2,198 yards in 2000 and Marshall Faulk of San Diego State with 2,174 yards in 1993, bumping them down to third and fourth, respectively. Robinson is just the ninth player in WAC history to top the 2,000 all-purpose yards mark.

 

Robinson's 6,479 career all-purpose yards would rank second on the WAC career all-purpose yards, passing LaDainian Tomlinson of TCU from 1997-2000, as well as passing Marshall Faulk of San Diego State (1991-93) at No. 6. The No. 1 spot is held by Terance Mathis of New Mexico (1985-87, 89) with 6,691 yards.

 

However, since USU was not in the WAC during Robinson's freshman season of 2004, those stats cannot be applied toward that mark. Robinson's 5,169 all-purpose yards in his three years that the Aggies have been in the WAC ranks him 10th on the league's all-purpose yards list, shy of Winslow Oliver of New Mexico (1992-95) with 5,375. Robinson is the first player from the current WAC teams to crack the top 15 since Fresno State's Bernard Berrian (currently with the Chicago Bears) had 5,429 yards from 1999-2003 and is No. 8.

 

Robinson ends his career 16th on the NCAA's career all-purpose list, behind Mewelde Moore of Tulane (2000-03) with 6,505 yards.

 

The 2008 teams will be led by NFL veteran head coaches Mike White for the West and Dick Vermeil for the East.

 

Since 1925, the East-West Shrine Game has helped raise money and awareness for Shriners Hospitals for Children, a one-of-a-kind international health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing specialty pediatric care, innovative research and outstanding teaching programs. Children up to the age of 18 with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries and cleft lip and palate are eligible for admission and receive all care in a family-centered environment at no charge - regardless of financial need.