Football: White, Hagans earn spots in All-Star exhibitions

Tim Buckley, The Advertiser, January 9, 2012

Two Ragin’ Caj seniors have been tapped to play in postseason All-Star games, including one headed to the longest-running of them all.

According to the game’s website, UL senior cornerback Melvin White is on the East roster for the Jan. 19 NFL Network-televised East-West Shrine Game at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.

The first East-West Shrine Game was played in 1925, and its moved from its longtime home in California to various locales starting in 2006.

White went into the Cajuns’ Dec. 22 New Orleans Bowl 43-34 win over East Carolina with 56 tackles, third among UL leaders.

He closed the bowl with four more tackles and three pass breakups, including a key on a fourth-quarter ECU drive with the game’s outcome still undecided.

White was been regarded all season as the Cajun with the best chance at being selected in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Former Atlanta Falcons and Houston Oilers head coach Jerry Glanville will coach the East team.

Also playing one more college game is starting defensive lineman Cordian Hagans.

Hagans is listed on the roster of the East team for the three-year-old Casino Del Sol College All-Star Game, scheduled for Friday night at Kino Stadium in Tucson, Ariz.

The transfer from LSU had 40 total tackles heading into the New Orleans Bowl, and one more — a sack — in the win over East Carolina.

The Casino Del Sol game will be shown live on the Internet on ESPN3.