The Reese’s Senior Bowl is rapidly approaching. The game will be played on January 24, 2015. This game and week of practices are one of the best opportunities for fans, draftniks and scouts to see some of the best senior college players up close. Senior Bowl week is filled with festivities that really make Mobile, Alabama come alive. The selection committee has announced some of the players that have confirmed that they will be making the trip to Mobile this year.
There will be more players announced as we get closer to the game. You can go to: www.seniorbowl.com/accepted-invites to keep up with all of the confirmed players. Former NFL general manager Phil Savage is the executive director of the Senior Bowl. He does a great job of finding players to attend the game. You can hear him on SiriusXM NFL radio giving a preview of the game weeks before the event. He will field your phone calls and discuss any player in the game as well as any questions that you may have about the selection process. If you go to the Reese’s Senior Bowl website, you can take a look at their watch list:
As of right now, the confirmed list of players include: Adrian Amos Safety Penn State, Shane Carden QB East Carolina, Joe Cardona Long Snapper Navy, T.J. Clemmings OT Pittsburgh, Carl Davis DT Iowa, Kurtis Drummond safetyMichigan State, Alvin “Bud” Dupree DE Kentucky, Trey Flowers DE Arkansas, Senquez Golson CB Ole Miss, Hroniss Grasu Center Oregon, Geneo Grissom DE Oklahoma, Justin Hardy WR East Carolina, Mike Hull OLB Penn State, David Johnson RB Northern Iowa, Jeremy Langford RB Michigan State, Lorenzo Mauldin OLB Louisville, Ty Montgomery WR Stanford, Robert Myers OG Tennessee St, Nate Orchard DE Utah, Cody Prewitt Safety Ole Miss, Quinten Rollins CB Miami (Ohio), D’Joun Smith CB Florida Atlantic, Preston Smith DE Mississippi State, Jaquiski Tartt Safety Samford, Louis Trinca-Pasat DT Iowa.
Any fan of the NFL Draft process should make it their business to take a trip to the Senior Bowl. Coca-Cola sponsors a Meet The Players night at the Convention Center in Mobile the day before the game. Fans will get the opportunity to interact with the players. They also get to take a picture and get an autograph from their favorite players. It’s a great opportunity to get up close and personal with future NFL stars. There is also a Senior Bowl Experience event the day before the game. Fans can participate in interactive displays from the New Orleans Saints, Under Armour, Coca-Cola and AT&T. There will also be plenty of games for the kids. The fans usually stay and take part in the Senior Bowl Experience after they get to meet the players.
Fans won’t have to wait until the Friday before the game to get player autographs. Each day select players will be available after practice, 30 minutes after the game at designated autograph tents. The Player Autograph Tent is sponsored by State Farm Insurance. It is a great opportunity for fans to get anything that they want signed. The players will be available Monday – Thursday.
If fans want to get an even closer under the facemask encounter with the players, they should attend the FCA Chick-fil-A Senior Bowl Rally. This is one of the more popular events. It brings in more than 2,000 attendees which makes it the largest FCA Rally at a bowl game in the country. Those in attendance last year were treated to player testimonies, live music and food provided by Chick-fil-A.
Speaking of food, what good is a football game without a tailgate?! Each year, there is a competition for the best tailgate at the Senior Bowl. The competition is sponsored by Baumhower’s Restaurant. Participants in the competition are judged on the right combination of food, originality and outstanding presentation. The winner is recognized on the field during the first half of the Senior Bowl game. This event takes place at the site of the game, Ladd-Peebles Stadium on the morning/afternoon of the game.
Those who just simply want to tailgate without any competition can take part in the Food For Less Tailgate Party. Fans have to purchase a ticket to the Senior Bowl. To receive a free pass to the Food For Less Tailgate Party, fans have to be among the first 3,500 fans who purchase tickets to the game. That means buy your tickets early! Those who are granted passes will be able to enjoy free food and drinks. They can also take part in inflatable activities, face paintings, clowns and interactive games provided by the United States Marine Corps and the Coca-Cola Family Festival game trailer.
The Senior Bowl also has it’s own version of American Idol which is sponsored by IBERIABANK. The finalists will compete on local Mobile television and the vote will go to the fans. In 2014, more nearly 50,000 people voted. The winner of the competition will get to sing the National Anthem prior to the Senior Bowl in front of a sold out crowd. The winner also receives $1,000 courtesy of IBERIABANK.
Many people don’t realize what all is involved in the Reese’s Senior Bowl week festivities. Most of the attention goes primarily to the games. My suggestion is to get there the Monday before the game and take in the whole experience. There is a group of fans that ranges from Arizona to as far as New York and everywhere in between that has a tailgate event at the stadium all week. They are all united by their love for the NFL and how much they enjoy listening to SiriusXM NFL radio. That’s why they are called the Sirius Football Heads. It’s not uncommon for NFL personnel people to stop by their tailgate as well as the stars from SiriusXM NFL radio. All it takes is one trip to Mobile, and you will see why it is an annual trip for so many football fans from across the country. Be sure to visit the Fan Events page for the game at: www.seniorbowl.com/fans-events. Stay tuned for more articles about the Reese’s Senior Bowl, including the history of the game and a closer look at some of the invited prospects.
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