2006 LAS VEGAS ALL-AMERICAN CLASSIC:
"Fifth-Annual Post-Season Contest Features Largest All-Star Rosters"

Rosters- East :: West

Las Vegas, NV -- What was once just a well-conceived plan in the mind of Darry Alton to help raise awareness of West regional prospects in an all-star game setting has now turned into a nation-wide event where over 100 senior college football prospects will make their way to Las Vegas this weekend to start a seven-day odyssey that will hopefully culminate with them landing in the NFL. "People have no idea how special an event this game is to me… each year I meet these kids and they become part of my extended family… giving them the chance to play at the next level it makes all the hard work worth the effort", explained Alton, who expects well over 150 professional scouts, coaches and evaluators to be in attendance, starting this Sunday.

The LVAAC has helped pave the way for several former unknowns to become regulars in the NFL, beginning with the game's first offensive MVP Arlen Harris (St. Louis), the 2004 defensive MVP Roderick Green (Baltimore), offensive lineman Jake Scott (Indianapolis), wide receiver Patrick Crayton (Dallas), quarterback Tony Romo (Dallas), defensive back Gerald Sensabaugh (Jacksonville), safety Oliver Celestin (NY Jets), wide receiver Cortez Hankton (Jacksonville) and tight end Casey Fitzsimmons (Detroit), all toll there are 55-60 former LVAAC graduates in the NFL.

This year's game will once again combine the well-known talents of players like Northwestern quarterback Brett Basanez, Mississippi State defensive end Willie Evans, Florida State wide receiver Willie Reid, as well as several Miami, FL prospects, fullback Quadtrine Hill, linebacker Leon Williams, safety Greg Threat and defensive end Thomas Carroll, the first three U-M players to appear in an LVAAC contest.

In fact, the East roster features players from the ACC, SEC, Big Ten and Big East, while also giving lesser-known names such as safety Antwan Marsh of Pikesville College, defensive back Stephen Cason of William & Mary, cornerback Marques Binns of Grambling State and defensive tackle Steve Williams of NW Missouri State the chance to impress NFL scouts. One other name to keep an eye on is quarterback Tyler Emmert, who led Carroll College to four consecutive NAIA National Championships.

That talented roster will be coached by a pair of former NFL coordinators, as Dick Coury and Willie Shaw will share the head coaching duties on East sidelines. Coach Coury was an offensive coordinator and receives coach during his NFL career, and was also once named Coach of the Year in the USFL, meanwhile Coach Shaw is known for his teaching skills and being a player's coach, while also leading by example as both a defensive backs coach and then defensive coordinator at the NFL level.

The West squad will feature Jim Harbaugh, who recently signed a new long-term contract with the University of San Diego after securing the 2005 PFL Conference title, as their head coach. The former standout NFL quarterback is a second generation coach, as his father has been a long-time special teams coach at the NFL level. Coach Harbaugh enters the game with a 1-0 record in the LVAAC, as he coached the West side to a 21-16 victory in last year's match-up.

His roster features Colorado State quarterback Justin Holland, Linfield quarterback Brett Elliott, offensive linemen from the Big-12, Pac-10, Mountain West and WAC, as well as UNLV tight end Greg Estandia, Wyoming wide receiver Jovon Bouknight, USC cornerback John Walker and defensive tackle LaJuan Ramsey, Northern Colorado safety Reed Doughty, Kansas linebacker Nick Reid, Jackson State cornerback Cletis Gordon and a few standout sleepers in Grossmont JC defensive end Roderkus Wright, former AFL Rookie of the Year Troy Bergeron, Cal-Davis tight end Daniel Fells and Western New Mexico linebacker Valentine Chude.

The official game hotel for this year's game is the Sun Coast Hotel & Casino, which is located on the northwest side of Las Vegas. Scouts, coaches, players and access to credentials, game day tickets and tickets to the Mayor's Cocktail Party will be available at the game week office, located inside the hotel. All practices will take place at Faith Lutheran High School in Summerlin, which is just a short drive from the team hotel, with practices scheduled for 10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm each day.

The West has a commanding 3-1 lead over the East in the four-year history of the game, which is scheduled for 1:30pm start time on Saturday, January 14th, 2006 at Sam Boyd Stadium, the home field of UNLV football.

This year's game will also feature a Mayor's Cocktail Party on Friday, January 13th, which will be attended by the Mayor of Las Vegas, several other dignitaries, as well as the complete rosters of both teams, family members and the coaching staff for each side. It will be a memorable occasion that will provide the business community the chance to see how much excitement and positive press this game brings to the city of Las Vegas.

Please contact the LVAAC office at 435-673-6402 for more information regarding game tickets, tickets to the Mayor's Ball or game sponsorship opportunities.