Joe Ostman to play in 2018 East-West Shrine Game

Central Michigan (8-4, 6-2) will be represented in the East-West Shrine Game on Jan. 20 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Senior defensive end Joe Ostman is the first from the Chippewas this season to receive and accept an invitation to the collegiate all-star contest, which will be broadcasted on the NFL Network at 2 p.m.

The announcement was made last Sunday.

The game, now in its 93rd year of existence, was created in 1925 to support Shiners Hospital for Children. CMU has had four players take part in the Shrine Game: Cooper Rush in 2016, L.T. Walton and Titus Davis in 2015.

Like the upcoming Reese's Senior Bowl, which senior tight end Tyler Conklin accepted an invite to back on Nov. 27, the Shrine Game is one of the top events annually for seniors who wish to have a career in the NFL.

Ostman, despite missing two games this season, is tied for second among all FBS players with 12 sacks. His 18.5 tackles for a loss rank seventh nationally.

The St. Ignace, Mich., native earned first-team All-Mid-American Conference honors along with CMU senior cornerback Amari Coleman. Ostman was also one of 27 players on the Hendricks Award Final Watch List, given each year to the top defensive end in the country.

Making its fourth consecutive bowl game under coach John Bonamego, the Chippewas will face Wyoming on Dec. 22 in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise, Idaho.