COLUMBIA -A pair of Missouri seniors are going out the right way.
Justin Britt and E.J. Gaines have accepted invitations to play in the 89th East-West Shrine Game that's scheduled for Jan. 18 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. The annual game features some of college football's best players and will kick off at 3 p.m. (NFL Network-TV).
The event benefits Shriners Hospitals for Children, an international pediatric specialty health care system.
Britt started all 14 games at left tackle this season. A native of Lebanon, Britt and his offensive line counterparts helped the 2013 Missouri offense set a program record with 3,330 rushing yards.
Gaines was a vital part of Missouri's secondary, finishing the season as the team leader with five interceptions, which were returned for a total of 17 yards. The Independence native finished third on the team with 75 tackles (4.0 tackles for loss) while missing 2-plus games due to injury.
Britt and Gaines are the 39th and 40th Tigers to head to the East-West Shrine Game, and the eighth and ninth to do so during head coach Gary Pinkel's 13-year tenure in Columbia.