Cal Football: Camryn Bynum Gets Honorary Invite to East-West Shrine Game

The 96th annual benefit all-star game has been canceled due to COVID-19

Cal senior cornerback Camryn Bynum has performed so well this season he’s been invited to an all-star game that won’t be played.

Seriously, Bynum received what amounts to an honorary invitation to the 96th annual East-West Shrine Bowl game, which has been canceled due to COVID-19 complications.

“It’s a great honor, regardless of whether the game is played or not,” Cal defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon said. “It’s an acknowledgement of how you’re playing. And I think he’s playing a really complete game right now.”

Bynum, a preseason first-team All-Pac-12 selection, is fourth on the team with 19 tackles, has two pass breakups and an interception.

Sirmon said he was impressed by how well Bynum tackled in the Bears’ 21-17 win over Oregon last Saturday.

“He’s playing extremely well-rounded right now, in my opinion,” said Sirmon, who talks in the video above about Bynum's play this season and his potential to make the NFL.

The East-West Shrine Game, which began back in 1925, benefits the Shriners Hospitals for Children, providing advanced care for children facing a wide range of serious health issues, regardless of their family’s ability to pay.

Cal has been a big part of the East-West Shrine Game from the start. Six Golden Bears, including Brick Muller, Babe Horrell, Tut Imlay and Charlie Erb, played in the first game.

Since then, Cal stars such as Chuck Muncie, Steve Bartkowski, Troy Auzenne, Brian Treggs and Mike Pawlawski have participated.

The game was based in the Bay Area for 80 years until its final season here in 2005. Since then it has been played in San Antonio, Houston, Orlando and St. Petersburg, which is its current home. This this season’s even was scheduled for January 23 at Tropicana Field before organizers canceled it.

Some of football’s greatest players have participated, including Tom Brady, Gale Sayers, John Elway, Lawrence Taylor, Pat Tillman, Frank Gifford, Brett Favre, Dick Butkus, Mike Ditka and Roger Staubach.

Bynum is among nine Pac-12 players — all of them on defense — who were extended invitations to be part of the Shrine Game tradition. Besides Bynum, cornerbacks Lorenzo Burns of Arizona, Jack Jones and Chase Lucas of Arizona State and Deommodore Lenoir and Elijah Molden or Oregon all received invites.

Sirmon believes Bynum's full body of work -- a starter for the fourth straight season -- is a selling point with NFL scouts.

“I think he’s been a very consistent player, which I think goes sometimes under-appreciated,” Sirmon said. “Staying healthy is something they like. And consistency in performance.”

Bynum briefly opted out of his senior season after the Pac-12 canceled its fall schedule. But he returned shortly after the Pac-12 reinstated football, and Sirmon believes that can help him with his professional future.

“I think all the guys, if they ca stay healthy, a bigger sample size makes a draft selection have less downside, in my opinion," he said. "The more you see of each player, the more of the known commodity you get.”

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*** Cover photo by Kelley L. Cox, USA Today

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Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo

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