Eastern Michigan Athletics
Three EMU Football Players Set For All-star Games This Weekend
1/10/2022 3:25:00 PM | Football
LaFleur and Van Hoeven to play in Tropical Bowl; Odukoya to appear in the Hula Bowl
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — A trio of Eastern Michigan University football players will do their best to continue to make an impression this week at a pair of collegiate all-star games, as they begin the process of transitioning to the professional ranks. Defensive back Alvinoski LaFleur (Lake Charles, La.-LaGrange-Coffeyville C.C.) and center Mike Van Hoeven (Paw Paw, Mich.-Paw Paw) are on the rosters at the Tropical Bowl, while tight end Thomas Odukoya (Almere, Netherlands-Helen Parkhurst-Garden City C.C.) takes part in activities at the Hula Bowl.
The Tropical Bowl will be played Saturday, Jan. 15, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. Players report on Thursday, Jan. 13, with the opportunity to showcase themselves to NFL scouts and general managers from around the country. The week is focused on scouting, teaching, and football. Over 350 Tropical Bowl alumni have gone on to the NFL since its inception.
The duo become the ninth and 10th EMU players to participate in the event since it began in 2015. Other Eastern Michigan players include: Great Ibe (2015), Cole Gardner (2016), Jason Beck (2017), Derrick Dunlap (2017), Oddie Granger (2017), Ike Spearman (2017), Jeremy Hickey (2018), and Drake Sutton (2019).
The game will be streamed on FloFootball.com with game time set for 4 p.m.
Meanwhile, the 76th Annual Hula Bowl will take place Saturday, Jan. 15, at UCF's Bounce House Stadium in Orlando, Fla. Starting in 1960, the Hula Bowl game was established in Hawai'i as an all-star game that would only invite NCAA college players from schools across the U.S. The game remained in Oahu until the 2008 game, and is being rebooted in 2022 with a move to the state of Florida.
Odukoya is the first EMU student-athlete to play in the event since 1997 when Charlie Batch and Lional Dalton showcased their skills en route to being selected in the NFL Draft.
The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network with kickoff at 12 p.m.
The Tropical Bowl will be played Saturday, Jan. 15, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. Players report on Thursday, Jan. 13, with the opportunity to showcase themselves to NFL scouts and general managers from around the country. The week is focused on scouting, teaching, and football. Over 350 Tropical Bowl alumni have gone on to the NFL since its inception.
The duo become the ninth and 10th EMU players to participate in the event since it began in 2015. Other Eastern Michigan players include: Great Ibe (2015), Cole Gardner (2016), Jason Beck (2017), Derrick Dunlap (2017), Oddie Granger (2017), Ike Spearman (2017), Jeremy Hickey (2018), and Drake Sutton (2019).
The game will be streamed on FloFootball.com with game time set for 4 p.m.
Meanwhile, the 76th Annual Hula Bowl will take place Saturday, Jan. 15, at UCF's Bounce House Stadium in Orlando, Fla. Starting in 1960, the Hula Bowl game was established in Hawai'i as an all-star game that would only invite NCAA college players from schools across the U.S. The game remained in Oahu until the 2008 game, and is being rebooted in 2022 with a move to the state of Florida.
Odukoya is the first EMU student-athlete to play in the event since 1997 when Charlie Batch and Lional Dalton showcased their skills en route to being selected in the NFL Draft.
The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network with kickoff at 12 p.m.
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