Nov. 4, 2005
NORMAL, Ill. -
Illinois State senior punter Ryan Hoffman will be making his first trip to the island of Hawai'i, after he accepted an invitation to play in 60th annual Hula Bowl all-star game on January 21 in Honolulu, Hawai'i.
"I've never been to Hawaii before, so I'm looking forward to that," Hoffman said. "It's somewhere I've always wanted to visit and now I will get the chance to do that. Getting to go to Hawai'i and play in Aloha Stadium with some of the best athletes in the country is going to be a once in a lifetime opportunity for me."
The game will be televised on ESPN beginning at 6 p.m. central time. The East team will be coached by Auburn's Tommy Tuberville, while the West team will be guided by Washington's Tyrone Willingham.
"This a tremendous honor and great opportunity for me," Hoffman added. "it's not every day you get to play with some of the best college football players in the country and for me to be selected to that group as a punter is amazing."
Hoffman, who leads the Gateway Football Conference in punting with 42 yards per kick, will be the first Redbird to ever play in the Hula Bowl. That's maybe why he was shocked when head coach Denver Johnson told him the news on Thursday.
"Coach Johnson caught me completely off-guard when he told me that I had been selected," Hoffman said. "I honestly was shocked and didn't know what to say to something like that."
The Stevens Point, Wis., native, who was the only I-AA punter on the Ray Guy Award Watch List earlier this season, is on pace to claim the school record in career punting average with 42.2 yards per kick, which would also rank No. 3 in league history.
