Jan. 24, 2008

• Courtesy of SeniorBowl.com and Staff Reports

MOBILE, Ala. -- Under Armour Senior Bowl Week 2008 hits its midpoint on Wednesday, as over 800 NFL coaches, scouts and top decision makers will attend Wednesday's North and South team practices, once again making Mobile the center of the college and pro football world.

One hundred of the nation's top senior NFL Draft prospects arrived in Mobile this weekend. Each team now has two practices in the books, with one practice each schedule for Wednesday and Thursday.

Among those players are 17 players from eight ACC teams. Georgia Tech leads all league teams with five players in the game on the South roster. Those Yellow Jackets are joined by two Seminoles, two Demon Deacons, a Terrapin and a Clemson Tiger. Virginia Tech leads the league on the North roster, with three representatives. Two BC Eagles and one NC State player are also on that roster. A complete list is below.

Players are taking advantage of the unique opportunity to display their talents in front of so many top NFL decision makers in one place at one time, as they also generate momentum for themselves that will carry through NFL Draft process.

The week-long practices leading up to the 59th annual Under Armour Senior Bowl game this Saturday will once again play a vital role in determining much of what happens in this year's NFL Draft, annually making Senior Bowl Week one of the most important weeks in all of football each year.

Fans can continue to watch all of the action, as the NFL Network will cover Senior Bowl practices throughout the week, offering over 21 hours of exclusive HD Senior Bowl coverage, nightly primetime wrap-up shows and the game.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Nolan and his staff are coaching the South squad for the third straight, while Lane Kiffin and his Raiders staff are coaching the North team.

On Wednesday, the North team will practice at Ladd-Peebles Stadium from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m., and the South will practice at the stadium from 1:45 to 3:15 p.m. The schedule remains the same for Thursday. The FCA Chick-fil-A Senior Bowl Rally will also be held Wednesday evening at the Mobile Convention Center.

In addition to its importance to the football world, the Senior Bowl is also a vital event for thousands along the Gulf Coast, as the Senior Bowl is a non-profit, charity event that has joined with Food World to create the highly-successful Food World-Senior Bowl Charitable Partnership, which has donated over $4.2 million to charities benefiting youth along the Gulf Coast.

The Senior Bowl is also enjoying its second year of its title sponsorship agreement with Under Armour, the innovative performance apparel manufacturer that ensures the Senior Bowl players will be able to perform in the most technologically advanced sports apparel available each year.

Saturday's 59th annual Under Armour Senior Bowl will kickoff at 3:00 p.m. Game day festivities will feature the University of Alabama Million Dollar Band, the New Orleans Saints Saintsations, a F-18 jet flyover, skydivers and the Senior Bowl Superstar winner for 2008 - Catherine Odom.

 

ACC Players in the 2008 Under Armour Senior Bowl NORTH ROSTER Virginia Tech (3) Xavier Adibi, Linebacker Chris Ellis, Defensive Line Eddie Royal, Wide Receiver Boston College (2) Gosder Cherilus, Offensive Line DeJuan Trubble, Defensive Back NC State (1) DeMario Pressley, Defensive Line SOUTH ROSTER Georgia Tech (5) Durant Brooks, Punter Tashard Choice, Running Back Gary Guyton, Linebacker Darrell Robertson, Defensive Line Philip Wheeler, Linebacker Florida State (2) Andre Fluellen, Defensive Line Garrison Sanborn, Deep Snapper Wake Forest (2) Steve Justice, Offensive Line Jeremy Thompson, Defensive Line Clemson (1) Barry Richardson, Offensive Line Maryland (1) Dre Moore, Defensive Line