Football: Broadway, Ringo to play in all-star games

Tim Buckley, The Advertiser, January 5, 2015

 

It’s the season for college football all-star games, and two Ragin’ Cajuns have been picked to take part.

UL quarterback Terrance Broadway will play in Saturday’s Medal of Honor Bowl and defensive lineman Christian Ringo currently is scheduled to play in the new College Gridiron Showcase in Arlington, Texas.

The second-year Medal of Honor game is set for 1:30 p.m. (central) at Johnson Hagood Stadium on the campus of The Citadel in Charleston, S.C.

According to a tweet from the bowl, 100-plus NFL scouts and general managers attended team weight-ins Monday.

The Gridiron Showcase game will be held at 2 p.m. (central) on Jan. 31 at Texas-Arlington’s Maverick Stadium.

Both Ringo and defensive lineman Justin Hamilton have been under consideration for the Jan. 24 Senior Bowl in Mobile, but it remains to be seen if either will receive an invitation there.

As of Monday, UL Monroe kicker Justin Manton was the only player from a Sun Belt school whose Senior Bowl invite acceptance had been announced.

At least four others from Sun Belt schools – linebacker Edwin Jackson and offensive tackle Garrett Frye of SBC-champion Georgia Southern, Troy offensive guard Terrance Jones and offensive tackle Kendall Lamm of Appalachian State – also are on the Medal of Honor game’s American roster with Broadway.

Former South Carolina State, Wichita State and Howard coach Willie Jeffries is the American head coach, and Florida International QB/receivers coach Cam Turner is working with quarterbacks.

Ex-Dallas Cowboys, Georgia Tech and Buffalo Bills coach Chan Gailey is coaching the National team.

Three ex-Ragin’ Cajuns took part in last year’s inaugural Medal of Honor Bowl: linebacker Justin Anderson and tight ends Jacob Maxwell and Ian Thompson.

Anderson also played in last year’s Senior Bowl as a late invitee.

RINGO, TRIM JOIN FISCHMAN

Ringo signed late last month with New Orleans-based agent Martin Fischman, who also represents Anderson and ex-Cajuns receiver Darryl Surgent.

Surgent spent time on the practice squads of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs and the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts in 2014.

Fischman said Monday that he’s also signed UL cornerback Corey Trim, the Cajuns’ top tackler in 2014 with 79 total stops.

ANDERSON, MAXWELL WITH NFL TEAMS

Anderson, Maxwell and Thompson all spent time on NFL practice rosters this season, and Anderson played two games for the New York Giants.

Anderson signed a reserve/futures contract with the Minnesota Vikings on Dec. 30, and Maxwell did the same Dec. 29 with the Chicago Bears.

A futures contract is essentially identical to an active roster contract, but it doesn’t take effect until later this year and doesn’t count toward a team’s 53-man active roster – but does count toward its 90-man training camp roster and toward its salary cap.

DRISKEL TO LOUISIANA TECH

According to multiple reports, Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel will play next season at Louisiana Tech as a graduate transfer and Louisiana Tech defensive coordinator Manny Diaz is leaving for the same post at Mississippi State.

UL visits Louisiana Tech on Oct. 3.

The Bulldogs beat the Cajuns last September with Cody Sokol, a graduate transfer from Iowa, at QB.