There continues to be much discussion about potentially moving an NFL franchise to Los Angeles, but in the meantime, the NFLPA is planning to bring some serious football to the LA area. The players association will stage the first ever AstroTurf NFLPA Collegiate Bowl at the Home Depot Center on January 21.
“It’s a perfect setting for college players to transition into the pros,” NFLPA assistant executive director Clark Gaines told ESPNLosAngeles.com. “This will be our first game and it will be historic. We think there will be a lot of players who will want to play in this game.”
The game is open to all draft-eligible players and includes a week of practices and events in Los Angeles, allowing an opportunity for top draft prospects to work with current and former NFL players.
“We thought about it long and hard and we decided if a player is draft eligible, he will be eligible to play in our game,” Gaines said. “Who are we to deny him his livelihood? If juniors are giving up their eligibility and are past the point of return, they are draft eligible and we will invite them to play in the game.”
The game is expected to attract 100 or so top prospects, and the two sides will be coached by former Super Bowl coaches Tom Flores and Dick Vermeil, who coached against each other in Super Bowl XV.
“The NFL Players Association wants this to be more than just a game, they want it to be a NFL educational experience,” Vermeil told ESPNLosAngeles.com. “This will be these players’ first introduction to the National Football League without the pressure of making a team in training camp.”
The NFLPA has been involved for the last five years in the “Texas vs. The Nation” game, but they were not organizing the game. This is a major step forward for the players association.
“We wanted to do this game because we wanted to get access to future members and educate them on the business of football and part of the business of football is not denying players their right to earn a living if they so choose,” Gaines said. “No other game gives these juniors an opportunity to showcase their talents.”
