Photo by Dave Saffran
Tampa, FL – Wagner two-sport athlete
Greg Senat, a four-year member of the Seahawk men's basketball team who started all 22 games that he played in during his two-year football career, has become the first player ever from the Northeast Conference (NEC) to be selected to play in the East-West Shrine All-Star Football Game.
Normally an exclusive domain for draft eligible NFL prospects from top FBS programs the likes of Ohio State, Alabama, etc., the 6-8, 290-pound Senat will have an opportunity to test his skills with, and against, some of the nation's best players both in the game itself, as well as the practice sessions leading up to the event.
The 93
rd East-West Shrine Game will be held on January 20, 2018 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL with kickoff set for 3:00 p.m. and will be broadcast live on the NFL Network.
"Everyone connected with Wagner College and our football program is extremely proud that Greg has become the first from our conference to ever be selected to play in this game," Said Seahawk head coach
Jason Houghtaling.
"We originally envisioned Greg as a tight end but, early on, he selflessly made the move to the O-Line, became our starting right tackle during his first training camp, and was a foundation there for the next two seasons," Houghtaling added. "He has shown tremendous improvement and the pro scouts that have come by to see him believe he has a high ceiling, especially given that he is still relatively new to the game, having not played football since way back early in his high school career."
In addition to his obvious pass protection abilities, Senat's explosion at the point of attack in the running game helped the Green & White rush for 1,727 yards in 2017, with eight games of 150 yards or more. The Elmont, NY native helped paved the way for junior running back
Ryan Fulse to become the third-ranked rusher among all FCS backs with 1,306 yards.
About the East-West Shrine Game
Created by the Shriners in 1925, the East-West Shrine Game was the nation's first college all-star football game. The game is driven by the desire to support Shriners Hospitals for Children in its mission to help children in need of expert medical care. More than 1 million children have benefited from Shriners Hospitals' unique way of providing hope and healing, regardless of the families' ability to pay for services. Every year, players and coaches visit the local Shriners Hospitals for Children during game week to meet the patients and gain a greater understanding of the importance of the game. During the inspirational and humbling visit, the teams experience a day they will never forget. Whether dancing to music, playing games or simply sharing stories with one another, the instant friendships that form between the patients and players are a testament to our motto of being more than just a game.
For more than 90 years, some of football's greatest athletes and coaches have contributed to the tradition of the East-West Shrine Game. Players like Gale Sayers, Tom Brady, John Elway, Allan Page, Dick Butkus, Brett Favre, Gino Marchetti and Walter Payton, along with coaches Don Shula, Dick Vermeil, Paul "Bear" Bryant and Jerry Glanville, to name a few, have supported the East-West Shrine Game.
The East-West Shrine Game continues to be an important part of America's football tradition, giving top college players a chance to showcase their talents to NFL scouts and a national television audience.
Story Behind the East-West Shrine Game Logo
East-West Shrine Game® fans are familiar with the event's logo. The image of a football player walking with a young girl appears on game posters, billboards, T-shirts, as well as on the website. Although the logo is famous, the story and the people involved are less well-known. Here is what happened:
In 1974, Nicole Worley-Urteaga was a 2-year-old patient at Shriners Hospitals for Children® – San Francisco (Now Shriners Hospitals for Children – Northern California). She was born with Holt-Oram syndrome, a genetic condition that affects bones in the arms and hands. In Worley-Urteaga's case, her thumbs were not fully developed. To provide more functionality, surgeons removed her thumbs and repositioned her index fingers in their place. The surgery allowed Worley-Urteaga to comb her own hair, button a shirt, hold a cup and be independent.
On the same day she was recovering from her first surgery, football players from the 1974 East-West Shrine Game visited the hospital. The annual visit is a tradition during the week of events leading up to the big football game, and allows the players to interact with the children and learn more about Shriners Hospitals for Children, a 22-hospital health care system that provides expert care regardless of the patients' ability to pay for services.
One of the football players, Mike Esposito, especially noticed Worley-Urteaga because she appeared scared and was crying. Esposito took her hand to calm her down and they walked down the hallway together. A photographer from a local newspaper noticed the scene and snapped a photo of the two new friends. The image perfectly captured the spirit of the game and became the inspiration for the official logo of the East-West Shrine Game.
Reunited
In 1988, at the 63rd East-West Shrine Game in Stanford, Calif., Worley-Urteaga and Esposito were reunited. At halftime, in front of an emotional crowd, they walked across the field hand-in-hand. "It was definitely an exciting and nerve-wracking moment walking on the field in front of so many people," said Worley-Urteaga. "I remember Mike being extremely calm and comforting, just like he was when I first met him."
Today, Worley-Urteaga has three children of her own and works with children with disabilities. Her son, Collin, 14, was born with Holt-Oram syndrome and is a patient at Shriners Hospitals for Children – Northern California. So far, Collin has had four surgeries on his hands. "After I found out about my son's condition, a part of me was obviously concerned, but another part felt secure because I knew this was best place for him to be treated," said Worley-Urteaga.
When she returned to Shriners Hospitals for Children – Northern California with her son, Worley-Urteaga was stunned when she noticed familiar faces. Collin had the same surgeon, anesthesiologist and nurse who helped her as a child. "I was surprised that most of the staff was still there and remembered who I was," said Worley-Urteaga. "I think that's what separates Shriners Hospitals for Children from everybody else; instead of treating you as a patient, they treat you as part of their family."
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