Boise State’s Ahmed Hassanein accepts East-West Shrine Bowl invitation

Hassanein has 8.5 sacks this season for Boise State

Boise State Broncos defensive end Ahmed Hassanein. / Brian Losness-Imagn Images

Boise State senior defensive end Ahmed Hassanein will play in the 100th edition of the East-West Shrine Bowl. 

Hassanein officially accepted the invitation to the annual college football all-star game Friday afternoon.

The Cairo, Egypt native has 8.5 sacks this season for third-seeded Boise State (12-1), which will take on No. 6 Penn State (12-2) in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve. The College Football Playoff quarterfinal will kick off at 5:30 p.m. Mountain time from Glendale, Arizona’s State Farm Stadium.

Rated a three-star prospect coming out of Southern California’s Loara High School, Hassanein chose the Broncos over offers from Duke, Fresno State, Kansas and others. Hassanein exploded for 53 total tackles and 12.5 sacks as a junior and is sitting on 42 total tackles, 8.5 sacks and one forced fumble this season entering the Fiesta Bowl. 

Hassanein is a key part of a Boise State pass rush that has 51 sacks this year, the second-most nationally behind Ole Miss. 

The East-West Shrine Bowl debuted in 1925 to benefit Shriners Children’s. It is the longest-running college all-star game in the country. 

According to the East-West Shrine Bowl website, Shriners Children’s is a “unique health care system that provides excellent care for children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate, regardless of the families’ ability to pay for services. This special game helps raise the profile of Shriners Children, so that we can continue to offer hope and healing and reach more kids in more places. Through the experience, everyone connected with the East-West Shrine Bowl gains a deeper understanding of the amazing patients who receive care at Shriners Children’s and the ways that they can support the health care system.”

The 100th East-West Shrine Bowl will be held on Jan. 30 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. NFL Network will air the game live.

The 6-foot-3, 271-pound Hassanein is considered a Day 3 prospect for the NFL Draft. He is a two-time first-team all-Mountain West Conference selection and is a finalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year. 

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