Jake Unruh (7) tackles Shawnee Mission North quarterback Will Schneider in the Lawrence Lions win Friday night at LHS.

Former Lawrence High defensive lineman Jacob Unruh still remembers when he found out that he was selected to play in the 2017 Shrine Bowl.

At the end of May, he received a call from Shrine Bowl officials and he quickly jumped at the opportunity. He will suit up for the East squad when the game begins at 7 p.m. today at Butler County Community College in El Dorado.

Unruh, who will continue his football career at Fort Hays State, played in the Greater Kansas City Football Coaches Association All-Star game in June.

“It was a really, really big honor,” Unruh said. “It’s just something I’m not ever going to forget.”

Unruh and the rest of the all-star game participants visited a local Shriners Hospital for Children and had a chance to meet with some of the kids they will be honoring in the game.

After visiting with children, Unruh said all the players realized that the game was more important than any regular all-star event.

“They are very inspirational and they are very life changing,” Unruh said. “These kids have stories and they make you very proud, very selfless of who you are as a person and what you do.

“These kids are a lot less fortunate than I am and what some of these players are. But they act like they have all the power in the world every day and it makes all these people very happy. This is a great cause for the game.”

Unruh earned first-team all-Sunflower League honors last season, highlighting the Lawrence defense with 51 tackles and nine sacks. He was a three-year starter in the program.

During the practices, Unruh has learned from Free State head coach Bob Lisher, who will serve as the defensive coordinator for the East squad.

Lisher has previously coached in the Shrine Bowl four times, including head coach in 2006.

“He’s a really, really good coach,” Unruh said of Lisher. “I’m glad I get to have him for this game.”

All of the Shrine Bowl practices are at a faster pace, geared toward the level of intensity that will greet players at the collegiate level. Unruh noted there’s more scrimmages and position group breakdowns.

“I do get a little taste of what college life is going to be like,” he said.

All of the Shrine Bowl players arrived in El Dorado last weekend for the start of practices, which has allowed them to bond away from the field.

One familiar face for Unruh is offensive lineman Brett Sabath, from Blue Valley Southwest, who will be his teammate at Fort Hays State. Their two families have known each other for years.

Between the two teams, Unruh said there has been a little trash talk back and forth, but Thursday’s hospital visit helped give the event a new meaning.

“We’re playing a game for more than ourselves,” Unruh said. “This is more than just a game.”