KINGSVILLE---Twenty-two of the players who participated in the Whataburger Cactus Bowl All-Star game here in January have been drafted or signed as free agents by National Football League teams.  Players drafted were Keyon Nash of Albany (GA), Oakland Raiders in round 6 number 189 and Peter Campion of North Dakota State, Carolina Panthers in round 7 number 213.

Other players signed thus far are Kiah Johnson of Texas A&M-Kingsville, Chicago Bears; James Atkins of Virginia Union, Miami Dolphins; T. J. Bingham of Ouachita Baptist, Kansas City Chiefs; Pierre Brown of Wayne State (Mich), Detroit Lions; Josh Burr of South Dakota, Pittsburgh Steelers; Nate Coggins of West Georgia, New York Giants; Clarence Coleman of Ferris State, Buffalo Bills.

Also Curtis Dawson of Angelo State, Chicago Bears; Jerris Evans of Missouri Western, Chicago Bears; Marques Glaze of  Bloomsburg, Saint Louis Rams; Josh Hotchkiss of Western State (CO), New York Giants; D. J. Humphries of Presbyterian, Baltimore Ravens; Stephon Kelly of Winston-Salem, Cincinnati Bengals; Dane Krager of Angelo State, Minnesota Vikings; Curt Lessman of Northwest Missouri, Atlanta Falcons.

And Robert Mackey of Winston-Salem, Houston Texans; Jared Peck of North Dakota State, Denver Broncos; Idris Price of New Haven, New York Jets; Josh Ranek of South Dakota State, Chicago Bears; Eric Totten of Western Washington, Pittsburgh Steelers.

Ron Harms, president of the Whataburger Cactus Bowl, said other participants are expected to sign before the start of the pre-season practices.  The bowl game was played in Kingsville for the second time this year and 80 NCAA Division II players took part in the contest, which featured the West All-Stars against the East All-Stars. 

2001