Nice little write up on Holmes (by AJ) Enjoy the sunshine Tyrone. Well deserved.
Grizzlies' Holmes to play in Shrine Game
The statistically stuffed senior season of Montana defensive end Tyrone Holmes has landed him Big Sky Conference accolades, a finalist spot for the STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Year award and now an invitation to one of the most prestigious collegiate all-star games in the nation.
Holmes has accepted an invite to play in the East-West Shrine Game in January, alongside some of the biggest names at college football's highest level. The 91st playing of the Shrine Game will be Jan. 23, 2016 in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Holmes, a first-team all-Big Sky selection at defensive end this season, leads the FCS with 17 sacks. He posted 14 of them during Montana's the 11-game regular season with three more coming last week in a first-round playoff game against South Dakota State.
The Eagle Point, Oregon native who stands 6 feet, 4 inches and weighs in at 250 pounds ranks second on Montana's all-time lists in both sacks and tackles for loss. He has 33.5 career sacks, four behind Zack Wagenmann, and 48.5 tackles for loss, tied with Tim Bush for second.
Holmes is one of just five FCS players currently signed up to play in the Shrine Game. Joe Haeg, an All-American left tackle for this week's Grizzly playoff opponent North Dakota State, is among them as are Southern Utah defenders James Cowser and LeShaun Sims.
Cowser beat out Holmes for the Big Sky's defensive MVP nod last week.
Offensive lineman Danny Kistler Jr. was the last Grizzly to play in a Shrine Game, his coming after the 2013 season.
Wagenmann played in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl last January, another post-season all-star game which Griz linebacker Brock Coyle had participated the year before.
The East-West Shrine Game is the country's oldest college all-star football game, dating back to 1925. This year's game will be played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg