Colorado State University Athletics
6 Rams will compete in all-star games this month
1/11/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
Several Colorado State football players are participating in postseason all-star games over the next several weeks, including defensive end Martavius Foster, who began the 2016 College Gridiron Showcase Sunday in Bedford, Texas. In addition to Foster, tight end Steven Walker will participate in the inaugural Tropic Bowl, Kivon Cartwright and Cory James will partake in the East-West Shrine Game, and Sam Carlson and DeAndre Elliott will compete in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. Fans can watch the East-West Shrine Game on Saturday, Jan. 23 at 2 p.m. MT on NFL Network and the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl the same day at 4 p.m. MT on ESPN2.
College Gridiron Showcase & Symposium – Jan. 10-13 in Bedford, Texas
Foster and the other players were selected by a panel of football experts, and over the four-day event will receive professional coaching, mentoring, life coaching and seminars that benefit them as they move forward in their professional lives in or out of football. The practices and scrimmage showcase the players to scouts and executives from top professional leagues such as the NFL, CFL and AFL. The players attend meetings, practice, perform individual drills, one-on-ones and team drills, and in many cases have personal interviews with the scouts and executives from these professional clubs.
This year’s event will also contain a strong professional football education symposium component. The athletes attending the event will have seminars relating to financial education, life as a professional athlete, player expectations on and off the field, first-hand accounts from former NFL rookies, social media responsibilities, and more.
Starting all 13 games, Foster had a team-high-tying 5.5 sacks in 2015, in addition to 8.0 tackles for loss (fourth). His sack total ranked ninth in the Mountain West, with three coming in a season-opening victory over Savannah State, resulting in a net loss of 18 yards. Foster also had 27 tackles, three pass breakups, four quarterback hurries and a forced fumble in a victory over UNLV.
East-West Shrine Game – Jan. 23 in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Taking place at Tropicana Field on Jan. 23 (2 p.m. on NFL Network), the East-West Shrine Game includes some of the top seniors in college football. In its history, the game has produced 72 NFL Hall of Famers – including former Colorado A&M star Fum McGraw – and 265 players who are currently on active NFL rosters.
While the teams are divided by East and West, the players come together for the beneficiary of the event, Shriners Hospitals for Children, an international pediatric specialty health care system. Shriners Hospitals for Children is changing lives every day through innovative pediatric specialty care, world-class research and outstanding medical education. The 22 hospitals in the U.S., Canada and Mexico provide advanced care for children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries and cleft lip and palate.
Cartwright, a Pueblo, Colo., native, finished his illustrious career with 75 receptions for 1,136 yards and 12 total touchdowns in 46 contests. He helped CSU to a third consecutive bowl game appearance behind 18 catches for 279 yards and two scores in 2015, which was his sixth year with the program after receiving an extension of eligibility waiver form the NCAA. In both 2013 and 2015, Cartwright was an All-Mountain West honorable mention selection, in addition to being named to the John Mackey Award Midseason Watch List. Cartwright was named a season captain.
James played in all 52 games over the past four seasons, which is believed to be the most ever by a CSU player. He finished his career ranked fourth all-time with 24.0 career sacks, including 2.0 and a team-high 10.0 tackles for loss in 2015. James had 65 tackles on the season, finishing his career with 230. As a senior in 2015, James was an All-Mountain West second-team selection, and as a freshman in 2012, he earned Freshman All-America honors from the FWAA an College Football News.
Senior safety Trent Matthews also was invited to the East-West Shrine Game, but is unable to participate due to recent surgery to repair an ACL tear. Matthews was a two-time season captain for the Rams, starting 50 career games – tied for a school record. His 10 career interceptions rank 10th all-time, also recording 273 tackles, one forced fumble and four fumble recoveries. Matthews recently represented CSU at the Sugar Bowl as one of 11 FBS players named to the AFCA Allstate Good Works Team, the most-esteemed off-the-field honor in college football that recognizes those who have made a positive impact on others and their communities.
Tropic Bowl – Jan. 15-17 in Miami, Fla.
In its inaugural year, the Tropic Bowl is a premier FBS all-star game played on the campus of Florida International in Miami. The three-day event is focused on scouting, teaching and football, and culminates with a game on Sunday, Jan. 17.
Walker had 14 receptions for 235 yards and one touchdown in 2015, utilizing his blocking ability as a converted fullback in many situations. During his two-year career at CSU, the 2014 All-Mountain West tight end recorded 44 receptions for 514 yards and five scores.
NFLPA Collegiate Bowl – Jan. 20-23 in Carson, Calif.
The fifth annual NFLPA Collegiate Bowl will take place at 4 p.m. MT on Jan. 23 in Carson, Calif. The game will air nationally on ESPN2, with team practices on Jan. 20 and 21 being televised live on ESPNU. The experience is much more than a game for the participating players. For one week, participants will receive an in-depth introduction to their future union. The NFLPA, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2016, is the primary resource for players for information on the business of football and how to succeed in the NFL and in their post-football careers.
Carlson, from nearby Wellington, Colo., who attended Poudre High School in Fort Collins, started all 13 games for CSU in 2015. He helped block for an offense that ranked third in the Mountain West with 425.8 yards per game, and was among the nation’s leaders for tackles for loss allowed (4.62 per game; 11th), sacks allowed (1.31 per game; 22nd), third-down conversions (46.0 percent, 20th), fourth-down conversions (58.8 percent, 36th), first downs (301, 33rd) and red-zone offense (87.0 percent, 44th). As a junior, Carlson started 13 games at right tackle and helped CSU set school records for total yards per game (480.9), passing yards (4,181) and passing touchdowns (33). The All-Mountain West honorable mention selection was named a season captain.
Elliott had two interceptions in 2015, finishing his career with seven takeaways through the air, in addition to two fumble recoveries. In 47 career contests, the cornerback had 124 tackles and 27 defended passes, plus a 76-yard interception returned for a touchdown. In 2015, both interceptions led to CSU touchdowns, as did his blocked kick, which came in the fourth quarter at New Mexico.
CSU also had representation at the College Gridiron Showcase in 2014 (Dee Hart and Jared Roberts), and has had players invited to the East-West Shrine Game (Shaquil Barrett, Crockett Gillmore in 2013; Bernard Blake, Garrett Grayson in 2014) and NFLPA Collegiate Bowl (Jared Biard in 2013, Aaron Davis in 2014) each of the past two seasons.
