Florida's Chimere Dike accepts invitation to All-Star game
Joining teammates Elijhah Badger and Montrell Johnson Jr., Florida Gators wide receiver Chimere Dike has accepted an invitation to the 2025 Hula Bowl.
The game will take place in Orlando on Saturday, Jan. 11 at the UCF FBC Mortgage Stadium. It features 120 of the Sunshine State’s top seniors and will draw scouts from the NFL, UFL and CFL.
A former Wisconsin transfer who spent one year at Florida, Chimere Dike finished the 2024 season with 42 receptions for 783 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 18.6 yards per catch. He also fielded 16 punts for 187 yards, inlcuding a long of 35 yards against Mississippi State that set up a touchdown drive.
You can make a strong case that 2024 was Dike’s most impacful year, but the 2022 season at Wisconsin is up there too. Graham Mertz was his quarterback that year and connected with him 47 times for 689 yards and six touchdowns for an average of 14.7 yards per catch. He recorded a rushing touchdown as well.
All in all, the Waukesha, Wisconsin native reeled in 139 passes for 2,261 yards and 11 touchdowns during his five seasons in college. When you combine that production with his reliability as a returner, it’s no surprise there is some buzz surrounding his name right now.
“I kind of took the starting job at Wisconsin — it’s something that I’m comfortable with,” Chimere Dike previously said of his ability as a returner. “You know, if I can impact the field position battle like I want to. Coach (Joe) Houston does a great job of emphasizing special teams goals — Coach (Billy) Napier — that’s just a way I can help the team.”
The Background on the Hula Bowl
“The Hula Bowl was established in 1946 as the Hula Bowl All-Star Football Classic game. When the inaugural game was played on January 5, 1947, the teams were composed of mainland college players versus a local Hawaiian Islands team; primarily made up of graduates of Leilehua High School in Wahiawa, Hawaii. The teams played a two-game series every January until 1951. It was then, that the format was changed to allow NFL Players to join the Hawaiian All-Stars in an effort to create a more competitive game,” the Hula Bowl site reads.
“Starting in 1960, the Hula Bowl game was established as an All-Star game that would only invite college players from schools across the US. The teams were divided into two teams, one team from those colleges located in the Eastern and Western United States. The teams were then split into “Aina and Kai ” teams, the Hawaiian words for Land and Water.
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“Throughout its tenure, the game was historically played at the Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. In 1998, the mayor of Maui County requested that the Organizers of the Hula have the game moved to the Island of Maui. Beginning that year, the game was held at the War Memorial Stadium in the town of Kahului.
“In 2006, the Hula Bowl was returned back to its historic home on the beautiful island of Oahu. The game remained on Oahu until the 2008 game.
“There has been overwhelming support to bring the game to Florida at the UCF FBC Mortgage Stadium in 2022. The community has extended a gracious and warm welcome as the organizers have been planning the games return again in January 2025.
“Following this strongly supported return, the game will be featured in January each year in Florida. This year, the game will include NCAA college football players from all divisions, along with international players from Japan. In addition, the game will always include Polynesian players with historic ties to the Islands.”
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