Cornish Selected to Play East-West Shrine Game

Dec. 28, 2006

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas senior running back Jon Cornish has been selected to participate in the 82nd Annual East-West Shrine Game held at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, Saturday, January 20. The contest will be broadcast live on ESPN2 at 6 p.m.

Cornish, who was named to the game’s West squad, became KU’s all-time single-season rushing leader with 1,457 yards during the 2006 season and led all Big 12 players with an average of 121.4 rushing yards per game. He was the only Big 12 back with more than 1,000 rushing yards during the regular-season.

The New Westminster, B.C., native averaged 5.8 yards per carry, scored eight rushing TDs and ranked first in the Big 12 with an average of 137.6 all-purpose yards per game. He had eight 100 yard rushing games during the season and also collected 24 receptions for 194 yards and a touchdown. Cornish was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for a career-best 201 yards against in-state rival Kansas State on Nov. 18 — the highest rushing total by any player in a Big 12 game this season.

The annual college all-star game has raised more than $14 million since 1925 to help support the Shriners Hospitals for Children.

Legendary NFL head coaches Don Shula (East) and Dan Reeves (West) will serve as the head coaches for the 2007 Dell East-West Shrine All-Star Game. In past Shrine games, the coaching staffs were comprised of college coaches. Shula and Reeves will be aided by NFL assistant coaches.

–KU–