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Senior Bowl Roster Produces 11 First Round Picks in NFL Draft 2009

Photo - TE Brandon Pettigrew - Oklahoma St.

The Senior Bowl 2009 roster produced 86 total draftees, including 11 first round selections this past weekend. The NFL Draft 2009 was held over two days with seven rounds and 256 picks and saw 86 Senior Bowl players selected in the draft process. Included in that total were 11 first round picks and a top ten selection.
The first Senior Bowl player to hear his name called Saturday was Boston College defensive tackle B.J. Raji. Raji was the 9th overall pick by the Green Bay Packers. This marks the 12th straight year a Senior Bowl player has been selected in the top 10 of the draft. Six picks after Raji was selected, Southern Cal linebacker Brian Cushing was picked by the Houston Texans at number 15th overall pick. Cushing was one of six Trojans to play in the 2009 Senior Bowl, all of whom were drafted.
With 11 more first round selections this year, the Senior Bowl has now had 122 first round picks since 1999. That’s an average of 11 first round picks a year. During that same time period a total of 963 Senior Bowl players have been selected in the NFL draft.
There were twenty Senior Bowl players selected in the second round, the most of any round, including seven of the first nine picks. With 12 more players going in the third round, a total of 43 picks of a possible 100 were Senior Bowl players in the first three rounds. This number is especially impressive when you consider that 27 underclassmen were also selected during the same period.

Frank Coyle has been a consultant for the Senior Bowl for 15 years.

The Senior Bowl’s firm relationship with the NFL was also evident in the fact that 29 of the 32 NFL teams drafted at least one Senior Bowl player. Leading the way were the Cleveland Browns with six Senior Bowl selections followed by Arizona, Buffalo, Dallas, New England and the New York Giants who each drafted five Senior Bowl players. A total of 12 teams selected four or more Senior Bowl players. The two coaching staffs of the 2009 Under Armour Senior Bowl selected a combined six Senior Bowl players with the Cincinnati Bengals (North squad) choosing four and the Jacksonville Jaguars (South squad) choosing two.

The future stars of the 2010 NFL Draft class will take the field for the 61st annual Under Armour Senior Bowl on Saturday January 30, 2010. For more information visit www.seniorbowl.com.

2009 Senior Bowl First Round Selections
Player - Position - School - Pick - NFL Team

B.J. Raji - DT - Boston College - 9 - Green Bay
Brian Cushing - LB - USC - 15 - Houston
Larry English - LB - Northern Illinois - 16 - San Diego
Robert Ayers - DE - Tennessee - 18 - Denver
Brandon Pettigrew - TE - Oklahoma St - 20 - Detroit
Alex Mack - OC - California - 21 - Cleveland
Michael Oher - OT - Ole Miss - 23 - Baltimore
Peria Jerry - DT - Ole Miss - 24 - Atlanta
Clay Matthews - LB - USC - 26 - Green Bay
Eric Wood - OC Louisville - 28 - Buffalo
Ziggy Hood - DT - Missouri - 32 - Pittsburgh

Senior Bowl Players to Watch

Photo - Louis Delmas - S - Western Michigan

Offensive Players

RB Andre Brown - North Carolina St.
Tough tailback had a nice week of workouts and needs to follow up with a big game performance. He runs hard and shows good cutting skills and the vision to make the tough inside yardage. He overcame several career injuries and looks to shine in his career finale here.

RB Rashad Jennings - Liberty University
This is the big stage this top small school player wanted after transferring from Pitt early in his career. He is a big 234 lb back who was impressive this week and looks to finish with a strong game performance. He is a one cut runner who has a burst through the hole with the powerful frame to make yardage after contact. He also catches the ball well and is primed for a big game.

TE Brandon Pettigrew - Oklahoma St
Big lean athlete had a strong week and continues to impress NFL scouts in every aspect of play. He shows soft hands, nice mobility and good inline blocking that has him climbing the charts as this year's most complete prospect.

TE Shawn Nelson - Southern Mississippi
Athletic receiving tight end had a strong week of practice sessions. He has natural pass catching skills with great body control and run after the catch ability. He was impressive at the weigh-ins and has the frame to add weight. He should be featured in this game with the well developed receiving skills and speed to make a difference.

WR Brandon Gibson - Washington St.
Fast receiver had a very good week and looks to impress in the game after an up and down career. He is both a quick and fast receiver who gets into his routes easily and has the run after the catch ability to hit the home run.

QB Pat White - West Virginia
This talented performer hopes to show his QB skills plus overall athleticism and show where he can fit into a pro offense. Scouts wanted to see White in a pro style offense and setting to prove he can play QB at the next level. He has a good arm and showed nice accuracy late in his career, but throwing the ball this week. He has a big windup that needs to be corrected and overall throwing mechanics. He may get a look at WR and RB during the game and throw the option pass. One thing - He is a Gamer who knows how to win and make plays.

Defensive Players

DT BJ Raji - Boston College
The BC defender had an outstanding week while flashing dominant skills often. He can play in both pro front lines with the ability to stuff the run and push the pocket as a pass rusher. He displays a very quick powerful first step that forced double team blocking at times. He was arguably the best player in Mobile this week.

DT Peria Jerry - Mississippi
Quick tackle had a fine performance over the week and is ready for a strong game effort. He displays the quick burst on the snap that allows him penetration to disrupt blocking patterns. He can push the pocket as a pass rusher and has the speed to pursue at the sidelines.

S - Louis Delmas - Western Michigan
Athletic safety has quietly had a strong week and the best safety on the field. He is an instinctive defender who is always in position to make plays on the ball and finishes with sure tackling. He is a hitter who drops runners and has the speed and agility to match up in coverage.

CB Coye Francies - San Jose St
Smooth athletic corner had a strong and impressive week showing fine cover skills and an aggressive style of play. He hit everything in sight and elevated his stock significantly off the practices. He has the package to be a fine pro cover man, displaying fine footwork and the top ball skills for the position.

CB Alphonso Smith - Wake Forest
Short corner was everything advertised - tough, fast, quick and instinctive. He is well developed and can play all schemes with good play recognition skills and the athleticism to succeed. Despite his short stature, he is physical and uses his speed and instincts well to anticipate routes and plays.

CB Darius Butler - Connecticut
Instinctive fast cornerback displayed well developed skills for the position. He is very quick in his movements with fluid hips and the recovery speed to succeed in either scheme. He proved healthy from a late season knee injury and looks to improve his stock with a big game day performance.

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Frank Coyle has been a scouting consultant for the Senior Bowl All-star game for the past 15 years, in addition to other All-Star classics.

Senior Bowl - Rising Pro Prospects

Photo - DT BJ Raji - Boston College

BJ Raji - DT - 6'2" 334 lbs. - B.C.
Massive defensive tackle combines rare power and quickness from the inside. He can play both the nose tackle or regular tackle position in the standard 4-3 front. He has been unblockable at times this week combining explosive quickness that will command double team blocking on game day. His rare combination of skills and versatility to play both pro schemes has just about guaranteed him a first round grade in April.

Louis Delmas - S - 5'11" 197 lbs. - Western Michigan
Athletic defender has quietly had an impressive week on the field and the best safety at the event. He is a fluid athlete who moves well and reads plays properly to put himself in good position to make plays. In coverage he is both quick and fast and has the burst to close quickly on the pass. In run support, he gets off blockers and is a sure tackler that makes him the ideal free safety prospect. He can deliver some strong tackling and is a fast rising prospect.

Senior Bowl Showcases Top Pro Prospects

Photo - Larry English - Northern Illinois

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Under Armour Senior Bowl Week is off and running with over 100 of te top senior NFL draft prospects at Mobile this week. On Monday, the event began with the National Scouting Weigh-In at the Convention Center. Both teams practiced Monday afternoon for their first action of the week.

Over 100 college players were measured on Monday with the tallest player participating this year Oklahoma's OT Phil Loadholt who was measured at 6'8". LSU's Herman Johnson is slightly shorter at 6'7", but holds the distinction of being the heaviest guy this week, weighing in an incredible 382 pounds.

The first two days of practice saw great weather at both Fairhope's Municipal Stadium, where the South worked out Monday and Ladd-Peebles Stadium, where the North held their practice. Starting on Tuesday through the week, all practices will move to Ladd-Peebles Stadium with the North working out in the morning from 9:30am to 11:00 am and the South going in the afternoon from 1:45pm to 3:15pm.

The 2009 Under Armour Senior Bowl will kickoff this Saturday, January 24th at 6:00 pm (CT) in Mobile's Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The game will be televised by the NFL Network.Tickets for the 2009 Senior Bowl are currently available for purchase at the Senior Bowl ticket office or online at www.seniorbowl.com

Sooners Send Four to 2009 Senior Bowl

Photo - OG Duke Robinson - Oklahoma

Mobile, AL. After taking on the Florida Gators in Thursday's BCS National Championship game, four Oklahoma Sooners will take their talents to the Under Armour Senior Bowl. Safety Nic Harris, wide receiver Juaquin Iglesias and offensive linemen Phil Loadholt and Duke Robinson have all accepted invitations to the senior showcase event, bowl officials announced Tuesday. All four players will play on the North squad. Kickoff for the Under Armour Senior Bowl is scheduled for 6 pm (CT) on January 24th in Mobile's Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The game will be televised by the NFL Network.

Robinson, an offensive guard, earned first-team All-Big 12 honors by the coaches, AP, Dallas Morning News, Kansas City Star and San Antonio Express News. He enters Thursday's game against Florida with 112 knockdowns on the season, totaling a season high 14 against Oklahoma State.

Harris was a first-team All-Big 12 selection by the coaches and second-team pick by the Associated Press this season. He enters Thursday's BCS National Championship with 64 tackles on the season and six pass break-ups. The 6-3, 230 pound safety, who can also play linebacker, currently has 222 tackles and six interceptions for his career.

Iglesias leads the Sooners in receptions (69) and receiving yards (1,092) this season and is fourth in touchdowns (10). He was a second-team All-Big 12 selection by the coaches and honorable mention selection by the AP. He currently ranks third in OU's all-time receiving list with 2,803 yards and is only the third receiver in school history to surpass the 1,000 yard mark for his career.

At 6-8, 337 pounds, Phil Loadholt is the tallest starter in OU history. A first-team All-Big 12 pick by both the coaches and AP this season, Loadholt tied for the team lead with an overall blocking grade of 85% and leads the team with a run-blocking grade of 79%. The offensive tackle has 77 knockdowns on the season.

Tickets for the 2009 Under Armour Senior Bowl are currently available for purchase at the Senior Bowl ticket office and online at www.seniorbowl.com or by calling (251) 432-4109.

Five Trojans to Senior Bowl All-Star Game
Mobile, Al.

Photo - LB Brian Cushing - Southern Cal

The Under Armour Senior Bowl has invited five members of the top ranked University of Southern California defense. They have accepted invitations to the 60th game on January 24th in Mobile's Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 pm (CT) and the game will be televised by the NFL Network.
The five USC players headed to Mobile later this month are: linebackers Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing and Clay Matthews and defensive linemen Fili Moala and Kyle Moore. Of the five, three landed on various All-American lists this season. They are all members of a defensive unit that is ranked #1 overall in the nation in total defense, surrendering just over 206 yards per game during the regular season. They finished with an impressive performance in their Rose Bowl victory against Penn St.
Maualuga is perhaps the most decorated and recognizable of the bunch. The long-haired linebacker won the Chuck Bednarik Award this season, which is given annually to the nation's best defensive player. He was also named to nine different All-American 1st teams, including Draft Insiders.com, the Associated Press' and Walter Camp's. He earned Pac-10 defensive player of the year after leading the Trojans with 73 tackles in 2008. He also notched two interceptions and three pass break-ups. Playing alongside Maualuga this season, Cushing racked up 66 total tackles, one interception and six pass break-ups. The Park Ridge, New Jersey native was named a Draft Insiders.com1st team All-American and 1st team All-Pac-10 in 2008. Matthews is the fourth person from his family to play football at USC. He totaled 51 tackles on the season and 4.5 sacks. A 1st team Pac-10 All-Academic selection in 2008, Matthews is a former walk-on at the defensive end position. While Matthews can play both the defensive end and linebacker position, he will come to Mobile as a linebacker.
Moala and Moore anchor a Trojan defensive front that ranks fifth in the country in rushing defense. Moala, a defensive tackle, earned 2nd team All-American honors by Draft Insiders.com, the Sporting News and 3rd team honors by both the AP and Phil Steele. The 6-5, 295 pounder was also a 1st team All-Pac 10 selection and has 10 tackles for a loss on the season to go along with 4.5 sacks.
Moore was named the Trojans' Most Inspirational Player in 2008. The defensive end leads the team with five sacks on the season. He also has 28 total tackles and one pass break-up. A two year starter for the Trojans, Moore was an Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 selection this season.
Tickets for the 2009 Under Armour Senior Bowl are currently available for purchase at the Senior Bowl ticket office and online at www.seniorbowl.com or by calling (251) 432-4109.

Frank Coyle has been a scouting consultant for the Senior Bowl All-star game for the past 15 years.