Every year the Senior Bowl concludes its week with an actual football game. And the teams play the game to win. Many say the practices are everything in Star game venues. I say if that is so, then they are doing something wrong. The game is the culmination of a weeklong exercise of personal interviews with NFL personnel people, and competitive drills in practices. However, the game always matters. Keeping score lights a fire that burns deep for all athletes in competitive events. I would remind you that some of the best players on the practice fields never even make it to game day. Injuries are treated very seriously in these venues, as they should be. So here are the standouts from a hard fought, competitive game.

QB #12 KELLEN MOND  TEXAS A&M  A

RB #7   MICHAEL CARTER   UNC    N

FB  #42   BEN MASON     MICHIGAN    N

WR #3    AMARI RODGERS   CLEMSON     A

WR #13  DEZ FITZPATRICK    LOUISVILLE    N

WR  #13    SHI SMITH     SOUTH CAROLINA   A

TE  #88   KENNY YEBOAH    OLE MISS    N

T    #75   DILLON RADUNZ   N. DAKOTA ST   N

T   #76   SPENCER BROWN   N. IOWA     N

G  #65    DEONTE  BROWN     ALABAMA    A

G  #60   DAVID MOORE     GRAMBLING   A

C  #56    CREED HUMPHREY    OKLAHOMA  N

DE   #5   CAM SAMPLE    TULANE  A

DE    #47   ELERSON SMITH   N. IOWA    N

DT    #95   MARLON TUIPULOTU    SOUTHERN CAL    A

DT   #92   OSA ODIGHIZUWA     UCLA     N

LB #19    JABRIL COX      LSU     A

LB   #55  BARON BROWNING   OHIO ST    N

LB  #33   K.J. BRITT    AUBURN    A

CB   #8    KEITH TAYLOR   WASHINGTON   N

CB  #25   BENJAMIN  ST-JUSTE     MINNESOTA  N

S   #27   DIVINE DEABLO      VA TECH    N

S  #25   HAMSAH  NASIRILDEEN    FLORIDA ST    A

I did not choose any specialists because no one stood out in my eyes. Even PATTERSON, with 2 FG’s, only had a long of 36 yards. Just not enough.

I would like to mention a Friday morning addition to the American squad in OC/G JIMMY MORRISSEY/Pitt, who got a call at his performance camp in Pensacola, and showed up to fill in for an American OL group that was down to 6 or 7 OL for the game. MORRISSEY put in quite a few snaps on game day and more than held his own. Even with over 130 players in town for the week, JIM NAGY had to place that call for one “tank-of-gas” guy, and he picked a winner.

One more shout out to the University of South Alabama on their new venue; Hancock Whitney Stadium. It’s a sweet little stadium, with state of the art amenities. One last doff of the cap to venerable Ladd-Peebles Stadium for all of it’s historical significance, but time marches on and the Senior Bowl has now relocated to a fine new home that should serve it well for decades to come.

It was all quite different, except for the fact that once again we all got one more look at most of the best senior players on Draft Prospect lists.

Thanks to JIM NAGY, his staff, and the entire Mobile Bay Area for letting us watch quality  football for another week in January.

Pigskin Paul