SENIOR BOWL PREVIEW: Last chance to see Hand, JK, Levi, Bozeman in a Crimson Helmet

If you are having Alabama football withdrawals since the Tide won their 17th National Championship on January 8, then you get one last chance to see a few Bama players don the crimson helmets with the white numbers on the sides one more time. The 69th annual Senior Bowl will take place on Saturday in Mobile, Alabama.

Bama players participating for the South squad are Da’Shawn Hand, J.K. Scott, Levi Wallace, and Bradley Bozeman.

Anthony Averett had planned to play but is still recovering from his run-in with a New Orleans pothole. Alabama middle linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton participated in interviews and other Senior Bowl festivities but is still recovering from his season ending knee injury.

After the National Championship game, Tide linebacker Rashaan Evans decided to not participate in the game.

“The whole reason for that, man, was really just to be focused on the [NFL] combine,” Evans said Saturday. “The fact that I was able to complete a whole four years of just being at ‘Bama, man, I felt like that was good enough, and the fact that I’m able to have the opportunity to be in the combine, man, I definitely want to put on a show, for sure.”

LESSONS IN GEOGRAPHY?

What the heck is going on with the division of quarterbacks? The quarterbacks for the North squad will be employing Heisman winner Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma), potential first-rounder Josh Allen (Wyoming), Luke Falk (Washington State), and Tanner Lee (Nebraska).

The South have four signal callers many of you have probably never heard of: Kyle Lauletta (Richmond), Kurt Benkert (Virginia), Brandon Silvers (Troy), and Mike White (Western Kentucky).

Players from Florida, South Carolina, Miami, Texas A&M, NC State, and Citadel will represent the North, while the South has players from Mizzou, Indiana, Kansas State, and Idaho State.

CAUTIONARY TALE

If you have followed Alabama recruiting over the last several seasons, you may recall the name Quin Blanding. This Virginia Beach native was a 5-star #1 ranked safety and #6 overall. He was highly coveted by Nick Saban but he made the choice to stay home and signed with Virginia. When you make a choice like that regardless of how much the local program stinks, you risk turning into a projected sixth round pick as a senior. When you make the choice to leave home and find a program that will turn you into a Top 10 NFL pick, you get Minkah Fitzpatrick.

CRIMSON TIDE JERSEY NUMBERS

All on the South Team:

9 Da’Shawn Hand DE
10 J.K. Scott P
39 Levi Wallace CB
75 Bradley Bozeman C

OTHER SOUTH TEAMERS OF INTEREST

7 D.J. Chark WR LSU - Four 100-yard games in 2017.
12 Brandon Silvers QB Troy - 3,290 passing yds, 17 TD 7 INT.
14 Jeremy Reaves S South Alabama
20 Rashaad Penny RB San Diego State - 1st in the nation in rushing yards.
21 Tray Matthews S Auburn
29 Darrel Williams RB LSU - 820 yds and 9 TD playing behind Derrius Guice.
38 Marquis Haynes OLB Ole Miss
77 Isaiah Wynn OG Georgia - second-team AP All-American.
90 Christian LaCouture DT LSU
94 Greg Gilmore DT LSU

NORTH TEAMERS OF INTEREST

31 Ogbonnia Okoronkwo DE Oklahoma - Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.
23 Armani Watts S Texas A&M
78 Brett Toth OT Army
84 Michael Gallup WR Colorado State - 5th in the nation in receiving yards

COACHES

Bill O’Brien and the Houston Texans staff will lead the South team, while Vance Joseph, in his first year as head coach of the Denver Broncos, will guide the North.

DETAILS

2018 Senior Bowl

Ladd-Peebles Stadium
151 Dauphin Street
Mobile, AL 36602

DATE: Saturday, January 27, 2018
TIME: 1:30pm CT
TV: NFL Network
TICKETS: $30, $20, $10

https://www.seniorbowl.com/