page_title: Japan Bowl
section_title: MVPs
hierarchical_section_title: Japan Bowl / MVPs
context_page_description: The Japan Bowl was a post-season college football all-star game played in Japan each January from 1976 to 1993, which showcased East and West all-star teams made up of college football players from the United States.
context_section_description: Following the 1977 appearance of Joe Roth – an All-American quarterback from Cal who was suffering from melanoma, which would lead to his death weeks after playing in the game – the game's MVP recognition was given as the Joe Roth Memorial Award. The trophy is topped by Roth's helmet. The first recipient was Jimmy Cefalo of Penn State in 1978.
caption: Joe Roth Memorial Award
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