July 26, 2002

Three senior members of the 2002 UCLA football team have accepted invitations to play in the 78th annual East-West Football game, scheduled for January 11, 2003 at Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco, CA.

Cornerback Ricky Manning, Jr., a candidate for the Thorpe Award, offensive right tackle Mike Saffer, a candidate for the Lombardi Award, and punter Nate Fikse, a candidate for the Ray Guy Award, are among 29 athletes named to the West squad.

Manning, a two-time first-team All-Pacific-10 conference performer, has been named a pre-season first-team All-American by Football News. He has also been named to the second teams of Street & Smith's and Lindy's.

Fikse has been named first-team All-America by Street & Smith's while Saffer has been named second-team All-America by Football News, Street & Smith's and The Sporting News.