Feb. 1, 2008

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - University of Richmond All-American tailback Tim Hightower will play in college football's final all-star game of the season - The Texas Vs. The Nation Game - Saturday, Feb. 2. The game is slated for a 5 p.m. ET kickoff from the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas and will be shown live on CSTV.

Hightower put the finishing touches on a remarkable career by finishing sixth in the NCAA in rushing (137.4 yards/game) and breaking 12 Richmond records in 2007. Among the records Hightower etched his name by were the single-season and career rushing marks, the single-season and career scoring records and the single-game rushing record.

All of this has vaulted the senior from Waldorf, Md. to four All-America honors (College Sporting News, Associated Press, Walter Camp), a runner-up finish in the Dudley Award voting and the seventh-leading vote-getter for the Walter Payton Award.

Former NFL coach Buddy Ryan will coach Hightower's "Nation Team" while Gene Stallings will coach "Team Texas." Nearly 75 percent of the roster from the 2007 game (78 of 107) signed NFL contracts, with 12 being drafted.

Hightower will be joined by fellow running backs Louis Rankin of Washington, Rodney Kinlaw of Penn State and Allen Ervin of Lambuth University.

CAA Football will be well represented in the game. Along with Hightower, Villanova tight end Matt Sherry and Maine wide receiver Matt Mulligan will take part in the contest.

A total of six CAA Football student-athletes will have played in four College Football All-Star games at the end of the weekend. In addition to Hightower, Sherry and Mulligan in this weekend's game, New Hampshire's Ricky Santos played in the Hula Bowl, William & Mary's Drew Atchison took part in the East West Shrine Game and Delaware's Joe Flacco played for the North squad in the 2008 Senior Bowl.