Feb. 1, 2008

By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Former Southern Illinois University quarterback Nick Hill will play in the Second Annual All-American Challenge: Western Refining Texas vs. The Nation All-Star Game Saturday. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m., CST, at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.

A native of nearby DuQuoin, Ill., Hill is one of three quarterbacks -- along with South Carolina's Blake Mitchell and Boise State's Taylor Tharp -- representing The Nation.

Hill has been in Texas preparing for this weekend's matchup since Jan. 27.

"I'm here with a lot of good players from all over the country," said Hill. "This has been a great experience."

Hill, who has participated in a number of community service events in addition to his workouts throughout the week, will get to showcase his talents in front of a large contingent of professional scouts.

"There are scouts all over," said Hill. "I have talked to seven or eight different teams and had a good meeting with the Chicago Bears. This is an excellent opportunity for me."

Saturday's game will be televised on CSTV (DirecTV channel 610; Dish Network channel 152). That television feed will also be available as a live online pay-per-view at a cost of $7.95. Additionally, fans can follow live in-game statistics and play-by-play on-line through GameTracker.

Visit the bowl game's official website at texasvsthenation.com