MOBILE, Ala. (April 29) -- It was another record-setting year for the Senior Bowl in the National Football League Draft.

In addition to featuring the draft's first overall selection for the second straight year in quarterback Carson Palmer of USC, Senior Bowl officials have announced that a record-tying 14 players who were members of the 2003 North and South team rosters were chosen in the draft's prestigious first round.

The 14 first-round selections also equal the previous one-year high of first-round picks ever recorded in the 54-year history of the contest, as the Senior Bowl featured 14 first-rounders in both 1998 and 2000.

Also, ten of the first 20 players chosen in this year's draft played in the 2003 contest. With five underclassmen included among those first 20 picks, the Senior Bowl actually featured ten of the first 15 seniors selected.

"Our draft numbers serve as a real credit to the competitiveness of so many of this year's top draft prospects who were willing to come to the Senior Bowl and spend a week with the coaches and decision makers of the National Football League," said Senior Bowl President Steve Hale. "The successes that they enjoyed on draft day shows the tremendous value that Senior Bowl Week can have on a top prospect's career."

Round two featured 16 more Senior Bowl selections, round three 14, and round four 17, while a total of 86 Senior Bowl 2003 players were chosen in the entire seven-round draft.

Heading the list of Senior Bowl 2003 draftees was Palmer, who used an outstanding week of Senior Bowl practice to become the first player selected overall when he was chosen by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Palmer's selection also gives the Senior Bowl the draft's first overall selection for the straight year, as Fresno State quarterback David Carr was chosen first overall by the expansion Houston Texans in 2002.

It also marks the first time since 1974-75 that the Senior Bowl has featured the first overall pick two straight years. In 1974, Tennessee State's Ed 'Too Tall" Jones was chosen first overall by the Dallas Cowboys, while the Atlanta Falcons made California quarterback and 1975 Senior Bowl MVP Steve Bartkowski the first pick in 1975.

Other Senior Bowl first-round selections include the first senior defensive lineman chosen in the draft, Oklahoma State's Kevin Williams, who was taken by the Minnesota Vikings with the ninth selection overall.

Five other defensive linemen who played in Senior Bowl 2003 were chosen in round one, including Texas A&M's Ty Warren (New England), Penn State's Michael Haynes (Chicago), Miami's Jerome McDougle (Philadelphia), Wake Forest's Calvin Pace (Arizona), and Colorado's Tyler Brayton (Oakland).

Senior Bowl 2003 also featured two first-round quarterbacks for the second straight year. In addition to Palmer, California signal caller Kyle Boller was selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the 19th pick of round one.

All six of this year's Senior Bowl quarterbacks were also selected. Joining Palmer and Boller were Texas' Chris Simms, Louisville's Dave Ragone, Iowa State's Seneca Wallace and Texas Tech's Kliff Kingsbury, who were chosen in rounds three, three, four and six, respectively.

Three defensive backs on the 2003 Senior Bowl roster were also chosen in round one. Washington State cornerback Marcus Trufant became the eleventh overall selection of round one when he was tabbed by the Seattle Seahawks, while Oklahoma cornerback Andre Woolfolk went to Tennessee and Texas A&M cornerback Sammy Davis was chosen by San Diego.

Other Senior Bowl 2003 first-round selections included the game's overall most valuable player, Penn State running back Larry Johnson (Kansas City), Nittany Lion teammate wide receiver Bryant Johnson (Arizona), and Georgia offensive lineman George Foster (Denver).

This year's Senior Bowl also featured this first player or first senior selected at eight different positions including the first quarterback (Palmer), the first senior running back (Larry Johnson), the first senior wide receiver (Bryant Johnson), the first senior tight end in Michigan's Bennie Joppru, the first senior defensive tackle (Williams), and the first senior defensive end (Haynes).

Also, 31 of the 32 NFL teams drafted at least one Senior Bowl player, with the Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots and St. Louis Rams leading the way with five Senior Bowl selections each.