Jan. 6, 2005

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Samford wide receiver, Efrem Hill, has accepted an invitation to play in The Villages Gridiron Classic College All-Star Game, according to the game's director, Matthew Sign.

Hill was named first-team All-OVC this season. For the year, he caught 71 passes for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns. He led the OVC in receptions per game (6.45 rpg.) and receiving yards per game (89.5 ypg.).

Hill left Samford as the school's all-time leader in receiving yards (3,054), touchdown catches (31) and receptions (214). In 2003, Hill was a consensus first-team All-American, OVC Offensive Player of the Year and Male Athlete of the Year, and he was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award.

The nation's fastest growing college all-star game, The Villages Gridiron Classic, features a North vs. South format. Coaches Frank Beamer of Virginia Tech and Jim Tressel of Ohio State have been named head coaches for the game. Coaches from the NFL Europe will serve as co-head coaches and assistants for the game. Players will spend a week in Orlando preparing for the game, where they will practice in front of professional scouts from all 32 NFL teams.

The Villages Gridiron Classic has seen 130 alumni of the game drafted into the NFL, while more than 275 players have signed NFL contracts as free agents. The game's alumni include NFL players Daunte Culpepper (Minnesota), Darren Howard (New Orleans), Brad Meester (Jacksonville), Erron Kinney (Tennessee) and Rock Cartwright (Washington).

The game will be played at The Villages Polo Stadium, in The Villages, Fla., on Saturday, January 15, 2005. Kickoff is slated for 10:00 a.m. Central Time for the ESPN2 televised contest.