SENIORBOWL.com :: News Room

The nation’s top senior NFL draft prospects and over 800 NFL coaches, scouts and top decision makers arrived in Mobile this weekend and then had their first practice sessions on Monday afternoon for football’s premier pre-draft event.

MOBILE, Ala. (January 21, 2008) -- One hundred of the nation’s top senior NFL draft prospects arrived in Mobile this weekend on Saturday, accompanied by the entire coaching staffs of the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders and over 800 NFL coaches, scouts and top decision makers, to kickoff Under Armour Senior Bowl Week 2008.

Players got down to business on Monday, as they went through the National Football Scouting weigh-in in the morning, and then stepped on the practice field for the first time Monday afternoon.

Football’s premier pre-draft event, the week-long practices leading up to the 59th annual Under Armour Senior Bowl game this Saturday will once again play a vital role in determining much of what happens in this year’s NFL Draft, annually making Senior Bowl Week one of the most important weeks in all of football each year.

Kentucky quarterback Andre Woodson, the SEC's leading passer in 2007, lets one go during Monday's Under Armour Senior Bowl South team practice.

University of Hawaii record-setting quarterback Colt Brennan in action during Monday's Under Armour Senior Bowl South team practice.

Fans will also be able to watch all the action when college football’s best take their next step to becoming tomorrow’s NFL greats this week, as the NFL Network which will offer over 21 hours of exclusive HD Senior Bowl coverage, including live coverage of all of its practice sessions, nightly primetime wrap-up shows and the game.

About half of the 2008 Senior Bowl players arrived in Mobile on Saturday, with the remainder arriving on Sunday afternoon and evening. Players underwent physicals, received their Under Armour game and practice apparel, had NFL group testing, conducted individual interviews with NFL team personnel executives, had orientation session for the NFL , and had their first team meetings with the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders coaching staffs, all on Sunday.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Nolan and his staff are coaching the South squad for the third straight, while Lane Kiffin and his Raiders staff will be coaching the North team.

Tuesday’s practice schedule will have the North at Ladd-Peebles Stadium from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m., and the South at the stadium from 1:45 to 3:15 p.m.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Nolan watches his Under Armour Senior Bowl South team during Monday's practice.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden is all smiles during Monday's Under Armour Senior Bowl South team practice.

In addition to its importance to the football world, the Senior Bowl is also a vital event for thousands along the Gulf Coast, as the Senior Bowl is a non-profit, charity event that has joined with Food World to create the highly-successful Food World-Senior Bowl Charitable Partnership, which has donated over $4.2 million to charities benefiting youth along the Gulf Coast.

The Senior Bowl is also enjoying its second year of its title sponsorship agreement with Under Armour, the innovative performance apparel manufacturer that ensures the Senior Bowl players will be able to perform in the most technologically advanced sports apparel available each year.

This year’s contest will once again feature the many of the nation’s top senior players, including marquee performers such as quarterbacks Colt Brennan of Hawaii, Chad Henne of Michigan, John David Booty of USC and Andre Woodson of Kentucky, major award winners, 24 first-team All-Americans and many of the top senior prospects in this year’s NFL Draft all expected to participate during the week.

For the past 58 years, the Senior Bowl has an unequaled history of attracting the nation's top collegiate players and future NFL stars since the inaugural contest in 1950, as players such as NFL legends Joe Namath, Walter Payton, Brett Favre, "Mean" Joe Greene, Dan Marino, Steve Largent and Ray Nitschke all played in the contest.

Louisville receiver Harry Douglas works a drill with a San Francisco 49ers
assistant coach during Monday's South team practice.

Since its inception in 1950, the Senior Bowl has also held the distinction as the nation's most unique football game, as it is the only contest in the nation which features college football’s top senior NFL draft prospects being coached by the entire staffs of two NFL teams.

The quality of talent that annually appears in the contest more than speaks for itself. A record 578 former Senior Bowl players were on the active rosters of the 32 NFL teams during the 2007 season, a list which includes many of the biggest stars in the game today as 25 of those players were named to the rosters for this year's NFL Pro Bowl game.

Included in that group were the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in Bob Sanders of the Colts, and an impressive collection of the NFL’s 2007 statistical champions including its leading rusher in LaDainian Tomlinson of the Chargers, its leading pass receiver in Reggie Wayne of the Colts, its leading tackler in Patrick Willis of the 49ers, its leading scorer in rookie Mason Crosby of the Packers, and the Eagles’ Brian Westbrook, who led the NFL in total yards from scrimmage.

Twelve Senior Bowl players were also chosen in the first-round of the 2007 NFL Draft and 90 players were drafted overall, including a top-five overall selection for the seventh straight year in offensive lineman Levi Brown of the Cardinals and Willis, the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year, making last year’s roster one of the most talented in the game’s history.

Tulane running back Matt Forte, who rushed for 2,127 yards in 2007, gets instruction from San Francisco 49ers assistant coach Ted Tollner during Monday's Under Armour Senior Bowl South team practice.

Georgia Tech's All-ACC linebacker Philip Wheeler during Monday's Under Armour Senior Bowl South team practice.

Game day festivities will feature will feature the University of Alabama Million Dollar Band, the New Orleans Saints Saintsations, a F-18 jet flyover, skydivers and the Senior Bowl Superstar winner for 2008 – Catherine Odom.

Other special events and fan activities that will take place during Senior Bowl Week 2008 included the popular Food World Senior Bowl Fan Frenzy and Coca-Cola Meet the Players events at the Mobile Convention Center on Friday afternoon; the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame induction reception sponsored by Mobile Gas and Regions Bank; the Chick-fil-A FCA Senior Bowl Rally; the Food World Tailgate Party and Baumhower’s Wings Restaurant Tailgate Challenge at Ladd-Peebles Stadium on game day; and the Food World Senior Bowl Sailing Regatta which kicks off Senior Bowl Week on Sunday.

So get ready to see the future, as the Under Armour Senior Bowl unveils its latest crystal ball during Senior Bowl Week 2008, giving thousands of fans and a national television audience alike a glimpse into who will be tomorrow's NFL superstars.