Jan. 23, 2003
Georgia Tech football standouts Kerry Watkins and Recardo Wimbush will participate in the 2003 Rotary Gridiron Classic College All-Star Game, Saturday at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando, Fla. The contest kicks off at 2 p.m. ET and will be nationally televised on ESPN2.
The fifth annual Rotary Gridiron Classic pits a team of all-stars from the state of Florida against the rest of the nation. Watkins and Wimbush will represent Team USA, which will be coached by Maryland head coach and former Tech offensive coordinator Ralph Friedgen. Team Florida will be coached by UCF’s Mike Kruczek.
Watkins, from LaPlace, La., completed his Tech career as the second-leading receiver in school history, finishing second to former teammate Kelly Campbell in career receptions (171), receiving yards (2,680) and receiving touchdowns (22). The 2002 all-ACC selection ranks 10th in conference history in career receiving yards and tied for 11th in receptions. Last fall, he set a Tech single-season record with 71 catches for 1,050 yards.
Wimbush, from Blakely, Ga., also earned all-ACC honors in 2003, when he was Tech’s second-leading tackler with 94 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks, three pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. A four-year starter at linebacker, he ranks 11th in Tech history in career tackles with 375 and seventh in Rambling Wreck annals with 32 career tackles for loss.
Proceeds from the game benefit the Rotary Foundation and the Miami Project’s national fundraising arm, the Buoniconti Fund to Cure Spinal Cord Paralysis. Over the last four years, the game has generated nearly $1 million for the Buoniconti project.
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