KINGSVILLE, Texas - Shippensburg University senior split end Mike Harris and senior punter Kyler Ford have been selected to compete in the ninth annual Valero Cactus Bowl on Jan. 8, 2010 in front of NFL scouts along with the best players in Division II football. The game will be held at Texas A&M-Kingsville's Javelina Stadium.     

Harris, the PSAC Eastern Division Offensive Player of the Year and a Daktronics All-Super Region 1 First Team selection, concluded his tenure at Shippensburg as just the 14th player in PSAC history to compile 3,000 receiving yards (197 career receptions, 3,000 career receiving yards).

Just the second player in program history to record over 1,000 receiving yards in a season, Harris's 62 receptions for 1,018 yards during the 2009 season marks just the second time in school history that a player has also achieved this feat in back-to-back campaigns. Harris and Jamie Ware are the only two players to record these honors in a Red Raider uniform.

Harris also finished his career with the school record for the most career games with a touchdown reception (20), breaking Ed Noon's mark. His 25 career touchdowns are also just one short of Ware's school record. He is the third Red Raider to compete in the Cactus Bowl over a six-year span, joining current NFL players John Kuhn (2005) and Brent Grimes (2006).

Ford finishes his career with the school record for career punts (245) and punting yards (9,768) in addition to setting school records for points by a kicker in one season (77) and successful extra points in one season (47).

He finishes the year among the top five punters in the nation for net average, having unfurled 55 punts for 2,302 yards (an average of 41.9 yards per punt). Ford also unleashed season-long punts of 76 and 78 yards this season that rank among the Top 5 in school history. Fourteen of his punts landed inside the 20-yard line and 13 sailed over 50 yards.

For information on the Cactus Bowl, visit the official organization's official Web page at www.cactusbowl.org.