Mankato, Minn.  --- Minnesota State senior defensive back/return specialist Kelvin Rodgers has been selected to participate in the 2010 Valero Cactus Bowl,  which will be played Jan., 8., in Kingsville, Texas.  Rodgers will represent the West in the bowl.

Played in an East/West format, the teams are comprised entirely of the 'best of the best' NCAA Division II college seniors. The Cactus Bowl Committee, comprised completely of volunteers, is responsible for all aspects of organization for the contest and net profits from the Cactus Bowl are donated to Shriners Hospitals for Children throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada.  The Al Amin Temple of Corpus Christi will be involved in the Cactus Bowl pre-game preparation and game-day operations.  The game will feature 80 Division II players from all over America.

Rodgers – an East St. Louis, Ill., native – finished the 2009 season at Minnesota State with 51 tackles, which was the sixth-highest total on the team.  He was a First-Team All-NSIC South Division selection for his play as a defensive back.

As a kick and punt returner Rodgers – who owns the school record for kick returns (88), kick return yards (2,255), punt return yards (770) and is tied for the record in punt returns (61), finished the campaign with 29 kick returns for 691 yards and a touchdown.  He also returned 21 punts for 246 yards and finished the season with 1,091 all purpose yards.  Rodgers was named the NSIC South Division Return Specialist of the Year this past season.

In 2008 earned All-American honors by the Football Gazette and D2football.com.  This past year, Rodgers was named a First-Team All-Region pick by Daktronics.

Minnesota State finished the 2009 season with a 10-2 record, advancing to the NCAA playoffs for the fifth time in school history and the second straight year.

MSU's Post-Season Bowl Participants

Year	Players
1994	Jamie Pass (QB) & John Pfeffer (OL)
1995	Josh Nelson (WR) & Stephen Henley (LB)
1996	Ed Speck (OL) & Mark Erickson (RB)
1997	John Hebgen ((QB) & Andy Mazurek (OL)
1998	Greg Janacek (K) & Ed Machovec
1999	Tywan Mitchell (WR) & Cory Czepa (DL)
2000	John Hoffman (TE)
2001	Ryan Dutton (P)
2002	Chris Baukol (OL) & Scott Carlson (DB)
2003	Andrew Tippins (DL)
2004	Jared Ziemke (DB)
2007	Ben King (QB) & Jeff Fielder (TE)
2008	Blake Freese (LB) & Chris Brunkhorst (DL)
2009	Kelvin Rodges (DB)

To visit the Cactus Bowl website, click HERE

To view Rodgers' 2009 stats, click HERE

To view Rodgers' career stats, click HERE