Kirkland Accepts East-West Shrine Invite, Officially Ending UW Career
Not that anyone expected otherwise, but Jaxson Kirkland made it official on Monday that he's passing up his remaining University of Washington football eligibility by accepting an invitation to play in the East-West Shrine Bowl.
The 6-foot-7, 310-pound junior offensive tackle from Vancouver, Washington, is considered a high-round NFL draft pick and will take part in the postseason all-star game on Feb. 3 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
A first-team All-Pac-12 selection last year, Kirkland didn't quite have the final Husky season he envisioned. He missed a pair of games because he was injured and watched his team slip to 4-8 and coach Jimmy Lake get fired.
While the UW offensive line was much maligned for underachieving over the course of the season, Kirkland seemed to maintain his reputation and shows up as a first- to second-round pick, according to the draft boards.
Kirkland was a four-year starter for the Huskies, two seasons each at right guard and left tackle, while opening in 39 games. He followed his father Dean, a 1990 All-Pac-10 offensive guard, to the UW.
Formerly know as the East-West Shrine Game and held in the Bay Area for decades, this football all-star game has rotated through Florida and Texas for the past 15 years before settling into its new location coming up.
Go to si.com/college/washington to read the latest Husky Maven stories as soon as they’re published.
Not all stories are posted on the fan sites.
Find Husky Maven on Facebook by searching: Husky Maven/Sports Illustrated
Follow Dan Raley of Husky Maven on Twitter: @DanRaley1 and @HuskyMaven
