MOBILE, AL- Hundreds of media members gather on one side of the stadium, while NFL coaches, scouts and GM’s sit on the opposite side. The last few years of college football have been preparing these players for a chaotic week at the Senior Bowl.
In reality, there’s nothing that can really prepare you for what transpires during the three days of practice leading up to the game on Saturday. The National and American team’s are split up during the day for practice, one group going in the morning, while the other hits the field around lunchtime.
Music blares from the speakers while coaches for both teams yell out formations and play-calls for a group of guys who have been together for a mere 48 hours. It’s controlled chaos, as NFL personnel try to throw as much as they can at these players, watching how they respond.
A showcase of the best talent from the college football world, Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. are teammates this week. After two games this past season of trying to win a Pac-12 game, both players are joking with each other outside of the huddle. Some of the players were fighting in the trenches with each other this past season, while some were on the same team.
It’s an interesting dynamic that grabs the attention of players once they hit the field. But their college days are over, and for this week, so are their team alliances. Ohio State and Michigan players on the same team? Yep, and it’s almost a mental test to see how these players react to the environment along the Gulf Coast.
After spending years catching passes from one guy, receivers are praying they can get their timing right with their new quarterback this week. Once again, the mental gymnastics can be one of the harder things to overcome during the week.
Senior Bowl Presents ‘Biggest Interview Of My Life’ For Most
Truth is, this week will set the tone for what the next few months will look like before the NFL Draft in April. The chaotic week in lower Alabama presents the first test for every player on these two rosters, and it’s not just on the field work.
Once the final horn blows, signaling the end of practice, hundreds of media members flock to the field for a ten-minute interview session. Some of the players have been taught to stay outside of the yellow line, which prevents the media from asking a few questions. I chalk it up to good training by their representatives, not wanting their client to say too much, or too little.
Either way, lost in the chaos of hundreds of credentialed members of the ‘press’ are players getting their first glimpse of who is really watching them perform. NFL personnel will come down from the stands to critique a player or offer them some type of advice on what they’re looking for out of them.
Former Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey summed it up pretty well when he said this was the ‘biggest interview of my life’. He’s not wrong, especially off the field, where teams can spend as much time as they want talking with players.
The simple fact is that the Senior Bowl is far more rigorous than the NFL Combine. Sure, it’s perceived as the biggest stage for future NFL stars, but participating in Senior Bowl week is like an NFL boot camp. Every single play you’re going up against another player looking to impress a scout just as much as you.
These guys aren’t practicing against their buddies or roommates. No, the guy lining up in front of you is looking to make you a part of their highlight reel. As the NFL Network breaks down different players, all it takes is a few bad practices to deflate your draft stock.
Does The Game On Saturday Matter For NFL Personnel?
The answer to this question is usually up for debate. If you’re an NFL GM or coach, the flight out of town comes Thursday night after the final practice. They’ve seen all they need to see during the grueling week, as the game is more-less just a scrimmage for guys not trying to get hurt on the final day.
But don’t get me wrong, there is an advantage to showing-out on Saturday, while it also gives the player one more chance to shine if they had a mediocre week. In the past, a Saturday at the Senior Bowl was all about the tent parties that take place in the parking lot. For the fans, it’s an opportunity to see a player from their favorite school, with Alabama and Auburn players getting the loudest cheers, obviously.
A chaotic week at the Senior Bowl is the first real test for former college players looking to achieve NFL dreams.
I can recall the days of attending games just to get a player’s gloves or armband following the game. I won’t say who, but there was one nerve-wracking moment when I was younger where I ended up stopping a police-escorted van from leaving the parking lot because I needed the gloves of one of my favorite players. Yes, it gets testy down here for certain things.
But for the players, this is one final showcase before they enter NFL combine training, where nothing else matters besides workouts in the morning and afternoon. One last time to represent your college on a massive stage, while wearing your school helmet.
It’s different at the Senior Bowl, and I think that’s what makes this week so special.