Joe Elerson
Athens Daily Review
Athens —
The 2012-2013 College football bowl season has seen a mix of local talent as 14 former Trinity Valley Cardinal players and coaches and a former Mabank Panther have made their way to the national stage.
Later tonight, Texas A&M junior wide out Derel Walker faces off against No. 11-ranked Oklahoma Sooners in a 7 p.m. kickoff on Fox in a battle of 10-2 teams. Walker has had eight catches for 85 yards this season for the Aggies.
Last night, No. 5 Kansas State – with junior defensive back Kent Gainous and defensive tackle Wesley Hollinshed – battled No. 4 ranked Oregon in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
In earlier bowl games, two former Cardinals played in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl as Iowa State teammate’s wide receiver Chris Young and cornerback Cliff Stokes battled the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes. Former coach Dan Bitson is a wide receivers coach for Tulsa University.
Also, former Cardinal coach Todd Spencer helped guide the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets offensive line against the USC Trojans in the Sun Bowl.
Newly appointed Co-offensive coordinator and wide receiver coach Darryl Wyatt’s No. 23-ranked Texas Longhorns defeated No. 13 Oregon State 31-27 in the Valero Alamo Bowl Dec. 29.
Former Mabank Panther quarterback Kolton Browning lost his bowl game against Ohio University, 45-14, in the Independence Bowl back on Dec. 28.
Browning finished the game 21-of-39 for 219 yards passing, two touchdowns and three interceptions. He also rushed for 47 yards on 27 carries.
The remaining list of former Cardinal players and the respective bowl games they were a part of is as follows:
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl
Keivon Gamble — TCU CB
Paul "PJ" Dawson — TCU LB
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
Nate Richards — Rice OL
Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas
Martez Shabazz — Minnesota CB
Idaho Potato Bowl
Brad Dunavant — Toledo Punter
New Mexico Bowl
Jaimie Salazar — Arizona Placekicker.
