Reese’s Senior Bowl: What is its Purpose?

On Saturday, Jan. 28, at 2:30 p.m. EST (and broadcast exclusively on the NFL Network), 110 college competitors will play in a North-versus-South All-Star football contest. The Senior Bowl is an annual postseason matchup played in Mobile, Alabama at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Certainly fans love to see the best college players all together on a field but what is the real purpose of this game?

This event showcases the best NFL draft prospects of those collegiate players who have completed their eligibility. Representatives from all 32 teams send scouts, coaches and personnel executives to the event to interviews players, perform their on-field evaluations and get physical measurements.

The Senior Bowl’s North and the South squads are coached by two NFL team’s staffs. This year, men from the Chicago Bears and the Cleveland Browns will have the pleasure of leading the players.

“I’m excited about coaching the Senior Bowl,” Browns Head Coach Hue Jackson said. “They really do an outstanding job of getting great players to participate in the game. Obviously, this can be beneficial to our organization by spending a week coaching some of the best players in college football while we are preparing for the draft. I always say, ‘coaching is all about teaching and putting players in the best environment to succeed.’ I really look at this as an opportunity to help these young men be at their best during a week in which they get to showcase their talents to the entire National Football League.”

“We’re excited for this opportunity to get a hands-on look at some of the top draft-eligible players in the nation,” Chicago’s Head Coach John Fox said. “The Senior Bowl experience will provide our coaches and personnel staff an extended chance to evaluate these players in a one-on-one setting which could prove to be very valuable as we approach the NFL Draft. It’s a great opportunity to spend some extra time with these guys and see how they respond to our staff.”