By definition the Senior Bowl is a final chance for select college players who stayed in school for at least four years to strut their stuff in practice, to showcase their learned "next level abilities" to NFL scouts in attendance, and to perform and impress in the exhibition game itself. For some players it is a "last call"… To others, it is a chance to increase their draft stock. As for me? I think eventually the format of the "Senior Bowl" needs to include the 3rd-year juniors who want to declare for the NFL Draft, too. Then you'd have to change the name of the invitation-only event to the "NFL Tryout Bowl"… which would work okay for me. In essence, that is what this week-long event in Mobile, Alabama really is all about.
The part I like best about the Senior Bowl is it does not discriminate against "smaller-college" guys.
By that I mean you get to see some select participants invited to try out for the NFL who did not necessarily play for big-name college programs.
North Dakota State's big offensive tackle Billy Turner is a classic example of that…
Turner is one of eight members of the South who played below the NCAA FBS level in college. The others are Liberty cornerback Walt Aikens, Jackson State cornerback Qua Cox, Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, Georgia Southern running back Jerick McKinnon, Princeton defensive tackle Caraun Reid, Coastal Carolina running back Lorenzo Taliaferro and Georgia Southern cornerback Lavelle Westbrooks.
"There are some guys that have really been good," South coach Gus Bradley said of the small-school players. "The Georgia Southern guys, and Liberty, Walt at corner. What I think is really cool is it's not too big for them. They've jumped in and they're competing their tails off."
I know what you're thinking— how the heck does North Dakota State end up on the South team? Maybe the same way Dallas ends up in the NFC East?
Gus Bradley, the coach of the South team for the Reese's Senior Bowl, and South offensive tackle Billy Turner both went to North Dakota State. Now the coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Bradley was a safety and a punter for the Bisons and helped NDSU win the NCAA Division II championship in 1988. Turner helped North Dakota State win the NCAA FCS championship in each of the past three seasons.
"I think it's a great opportunity," Bradley said of Turner's turn at the Senior Bowl. "I think what you look for in guys like that is how fast can they get ready for the level of competition. He's obviously played at a high level, done some very good things, won a national championship. But now to go against a guy that's an edge rusher like (Auburn's Dee) Ford or (Arkansas' Chris) Smith, you might see him struggle right away. But more importantly: How does he do the next day and how does he do as the days progress? You see a big jump in improvement. I think that's what we're all looking for."
Alabama outside linebacker Adrian Hubbard attended last year's Senior Bowl as a spectator. This year, he's playing in the all-star game as a 4th-year junior.
Alabama linebacker Adrian Hubbard practices with the Senior Bowl South team on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014, at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala. (Mike Kittrell/[email protected])
"I went to the Senior Bowl last year to see some of my old teammates," Hubbard said. "They do love football in Alabama. It's the Senior Bowl. You wouldn't think too many people would be here, but when you do go, there's a lot of people here, so you kind of just feel the love."
Hubbard is the third 4th-year junior graduate invited to the Senior Bowl, following Alabama offensive tackle D.J. Fluker and Syracuse offensive tackle Justin Pugh last year.
"He kind of set the standard for juniors that can come out," Hubbard said of his former teammate Fluker.
Hubbard knows his trip to the all-star game wouldn't be possible if he hadn't earned his college degree. Hubbard said people who think the student in "student-athlete" is dead in today's big-time football are dead wrong.
"On behalf of the Senior Bowl Committee, I'd like to thank everyone who acknowledged on my behalf and on Alabama's behalf that I graduated early," Hubbard said. "It's a good situation for people like me who are redshirt juniors, and are able to come to places like this, and people acknowledge that you graduated early and put in the effort."
"It's a student-athlete thing. People have lost that art these days. People think that athletes get away with everything. But I have a business management degree from Alabama, and I'm currently starting work on a finance minor there. 'Student' has always come first in my household. My mother and my grandmother always harped on that, and I'm the first male on my side of the family to graduate, and I'm very proud of that."
Hubbard said he saw last year with Fluker that if he graduated, he'd have a shot at the Senior Bowl.
"Alabama does a good job in enrolling their kids into summer school," Hubbard said. "It's part of the process that you have to go through. If you're not willing to go into that, then you just get sent home. Alabama is students first, then athletes. The situation has benefitted a lot of people in many ways. It's pushed people in my situation that education is first. If I didn't graduate, I wouldn't be here."
Jacksonville Jaguars coach Gus Bradley is happy to have his staff handling the preparation of the South for Saturday's Senior Bowl. He just doesn't want to be back next year, because it will mean the Jaguars have missed the NFL playoffs again.
"It's great to be here," Bradley said. "The city of Mobile's been awesome. I had the opportunity to be here in 2007, I believe, with Tampa Bay. It's all coming back to me. Obviously, there're a lot of things taking place around, but just the whole experience, how the city's taken to us. I know the players are feeling it. We're feeling it as a coaching staff, so it really is a privilege to be here. We don't want to make a habit of it. We don't want to come back year after year, but we'll sure take advantage of the opportunity since we are here."
Tommy Lawlor was down in Mobile this past week. Here are some of the players he scouted as possible prospects for the Eagles:
Linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu – Georgia Tech – 6-foot-3, 252 pounds
Linebacker Dee Ford – Auburn – 6-foot-2, 243 pounds
Inside linebacker Christian Jones – Florida State – 6-foot-3, 232 pounds
Linebacker Kyle Van Noy – BYU – 6-foot-3, 244 pounds
Defensive end Brent Urban – Virginia – 6-foot-7, 298 pounds
Defensive tackle Ra'Shede Hageman – Minnesota – 6-foot-6, 318 pounds
Offensive lineman Michael Schofield – Michigan – 6-foot-7, 303 pounds
Guard Brandon Linder – Miami – 6-foot-5, 316 pounds
Safety Deone Bucannon – Washington State – 6-foot-1, 216 pounds
Safety Jimmie Ward – Northern Illinois – 5-foot-10, 191 pounds
Receiver Jordan Matthews – Vanderbilt – 6-foot-3, 209 pounds
(For a more complete breakdown on each of Lawlor's highlighted scouting targets, go to http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/article-1/Fan-Demonium-Scouting-The-Senior-Bowl/35ce510b-53eb-42ac-a5b2-8199207dcba5 )
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