Jan. 4, 2008
HONOLULU - Three San Diego State senior football players have been selected to play in the 2008 Cornerstone Bancard Hula Bowl on Jan. 12 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. Quarterback Kevin O'Connell (Carlsbad, Calif.), defensive lineman Nick Osborn (Kensington, Calif.) and offensive lineman Will Robinson (Pomona, Calif.) will all play for the Kai (West) team that will face off against the Aina (East) squad at 1 p.m. HST.
A four-year team captain, O'Connell earned second-team all-MWC honors after becoming the first Aztec to lead the team in both rushing and passing in the same season. O'Connell ranked first in the MWC in league outings in total offense per game (284.2) and was second in passing average (239.2 yards/g).
For his career, O'Connell completed his eligibility as the school's all-time leader in career rushing yards (1,312) and touchdowns (19) by a quarterback. He ranks second in completions (664), attempts (1,151), total offense (9,001) and starts (33) and is third in career passing yards (7,689).
Osborn garnered all-MWC honorable mention accolades for the second year in a row after he tallied 51 tackles, the most by a SDSU defensive lineman. A team captain, Osborn led the squad with 7.5 tackles for loss in 2007.
Robinson joined Osborn as an honorable mention all-MWC selection after starting all 12 outings in 2007. Robinson made 38 starts over his four-year Aztec career and started his final 32 games on The Mesa.
It is the third consecutive year in which an Aztec will participate in the Hula Bowl. Linebacker Joe Martin played in last year's game and safety Marcus Demps played in the 2006 Hula Bowl.
In 2004, offensive lineman Brendan Darby made an appearance, while in 2003, defensive back Ricky Sharpe joined wideout Kassim Osgood, who was named the Hula Bowl MVP before starring for the San Diego Chargers.