PROVO, Utah (Jan. 20, 2017)—Three BYU players—Kai Nacua, Algernon Brown and Andrew Eide—will play in the sixth annual NFLPA Collegiate Bowl on Saturday at the StubHub Center on the campus of California State University Dominquez Hills in Carson, California. The game will be nationally televised at 4:15 p.m. ET/2:15 p.m. MT on Fox Sports 1.
Nacua (6-2, 215-pound safety), Brown (6-1, 250-pound fullback) and Eide (6-5, 301-pound offensive tackle) will play for the American Team in the postseason all-star contest that pits the American Team against the National Team. Former NFL player and head coach Jim Zorn will coach the American side while former NFL head coach Mike Martz oversees the National squad.
The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl was founded in 2012 by the National Football League Players Association to feature NFL draft-eligible players and help them prepare for a career in the NFL. In addition to the game experience, the NFLPA provides the participants with an introduction to the players’ union during the week leading up to the game and educates them about the business side of an NFL career. Both current and former NFL players take time to share their experiences with the participants during the week’s events.
A 2016 Jim Thorpe Semifinalist, Nacua finished his BYU career with 14 interceptions—the most by a Cougar since Derwin Gray had 14 picks from 1989-1992. An excellent athlete, Nacua gained 246 return yards for the Cougars following his ball-hawking plays, including two takeaways he converted directly into points with pick-six touchdowns. He tied the single-game BYU record with three picks in BYU’s win over Boise State in 2015. From Las Vegas, the two-time All-Independent First Team selection added 164 tackles, 13 pass breakups, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble and fumble recovery during his four-year BYU career.
Brown moved to fullback in 2016 after serving as the primary running back as a junior. In his new role, Brown plowed the road for Jamaal Williams on his way to a record-setting senior season where he eclipsed BYU’s all-time rushing mark with 3,901 career yards. Brown helped the Cougar ground game to eight games of over 200 yards, including a season-best 338 against Toledo. In 2015, he led BYU with 127 carries, 709 yards and 11 touchdowns. From Magna, Utah, Brown totaled 1,310 rushing yards over his four-year career along with 285 receiving yards and 16 total touchdowns.
Eide started every game at left tackle in 2016 after transferring from Southern Utah. An Orem, Utah, native, Eide helped the Cougar offense average over 200 rushing yards per game. He also blocked for Williams en route to a career-best 1,375 rushing yards in 2016. At SUU, Eide played defensive line in 2013 and 2014 before moving to offense in 2015 where he was an all-conference selection.