DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Sporting their Valdosta State helmets and proudly representing the red and black, four former Valdosta State standouts, Kenny Moore, Jamar Simpkins, Donatello Brown, and Egim Etta-Tawo, appeared earlier this month in the second annual Tropical Bowl football game in Daytona Beach, Fla.

The Tropical Bowl is a premier FBS Division I level College Football All Star Game played each year in mid January. The game showcases the top college football seniors to National Football League (NFL) scouts and general managers who travel from around the country to attend the event. This year’s game was held at Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach, Fla. on January 15th.

Moore, Simpkins, Brown, and Etta-Tawo were invited to participate in the contest alongside some of the top players in the country, many of which played for top-tier Division I schools, including Penn State, The University of Tennessee, and The University of Georgia. The former Blazers made waves on defense, with Moore and Etta-Tawo teaming up to tie the team-high with four tackles each. In addition, two of Moore’s tackles were for loss, and the Valdosta, Ga. native accounted for a loss of 10 yards on the pair of takedowns.

“I was a little rusty on the first day of practice,” said Moore, Blazer football’s newest All-American. “I followed up the next day of practice with a good performance, though, and I was able to earn a a starting position at safety in the game. It was an honor playing against guys that I’ve seen play on ESPN nearly every Saturday. I just wanted to take as much as I could from those guys in order to better myself.”

For more information on the 2017 Tropical Bowl, CLICK HERE.