Additions

• 7:00am CST - Good morning!

   It’s officially Day 1 of the 2010 Senior Bowl and it is jam-packed.

   Here’s the schedule:

      10:30am – Weigh-In

   One of the highlights of the week. In many cases this is the first chance to get verified measurements on a lot of these prospects. Each player will be brought on stage in front of hundreds of scouts, coaches and personnel men wearing only his shorts to be measured and weighed. As usual I will get over to the Mobile Convention Center, where it takes place, about an hour early to see if there is any buzz emanating from the massive crowd hanging around outside the ballroom. Then as soon as it’s finished I will begin inputting all of the data into the site and you’ll be able to check out the results on the Weigh-In page.

      2:45pm – Practice

   The first practices actually take place simultaneously, with the North taking the field at Ladd-Peebles Stadium and the South traveling about 30 minutes to Fairhope. Each session will last an hour and a half. I'll be covering one of the practices while Matt McGuire from WalterFootball.com will be handling the other, then we’ll exchange reports to run on each others sites. That way all of our readers get the low-down on what happened with both of the teams rather than just one or the other. We haven't decided who will be covering which team yet.

      6:00pm – Media Night

   This is a dinner / meet and greet where the media is able to talk one-on-one with the players. I probably won’t conduct any in-depth interviews there tonight but I will chat up some of the prospects and do plan on exchanging contact information with some of the guys so we can set up Q&A’s in the coming months.

   When all is said and done I’ll most likely arrive back at the hotel around 9:30pm, at which time I’ll put the finishing touches on the day’s practice reports and get them up on the site as soon as possible. I will also be updating this blog throughout the day as many times as the schedule allows. Make sure you are following me on Twitter as well! Need some incentive? I think one of the most intriguing storylines at this year’s weigh-in will be the girth of Alabama’s Terrence “Mount” Cody. Will he show up in shape (340-ish) or will the conditioning problems that have plagued him at times in the past rear their ugly head? Is 400 pounds a possibility?!? Immediately after Cody leaves the stage I will tweet what he tipped the scale at so my followers get that information before anyone else.

   Time to get ready for the day!

• 7:30am CST - Be sure to tune into my live podcast this morning!

   On Monday through Friday of this week I will be recording a short, 30 minute podcast at 8:00am CST breaking down all of the latest Senior Bowl happenings. Today will be a preview show. You can listen in at www.primesportsnetwork.com or download the archive later at that same site or on iTunes later in the day.

• 2:00pm CST - I apologize for the long delay between blog updates but it’s been a hectic morning. As soon as the weigh-in was over I went right to work inputting the data. I was able to get all of the heights, weights, arm lenghts and hand sizes entered but I’ll have to type up the comments portion of the report tonight. In the meantime you can check out all of the raw vitals at the weigh-in page. Some of the guys who were most impressive were USC’s Taylor Mays, Idaho’s Mike Iupati, Miami's Jimmy Graham and Florida State’s Myron Rolle. On the other end of the spectrum Alabama's Terrence "Mount" Cody lived up to his reputation by checking in at a whopping 370 pounds. One other interesting note: I was actually seated next to former Buffalo Bill and 10-year NFL vet Jeff Burris. Nice guy.

   Right now I'm on my way to Fairhope for the South practice. I’ve actually never been to Fairhope since I’ve always covered the North practices on Monday’s. I am fully expecting it to be an absolute zoo since this is the debut of Tim Tebow. It should be interesting… I will be sure to tweet about how Tebow is looking during the practice so if you aren’t following me on Twitter yet it’s a great time to start.

   I will check in again after practice.

• 5:30pm CST - Just got done at the South practice. It was a rough first day for Tim Tebow and a lot of the concerns everyone had were validated. Nobody really blew my socks off though. Look for the full practice report later tonight.

   As expected there were a lot of people in attendance, including some big names and a hoard of teenage girls screaming their heads off at Tebow and Riley Cooper. One of the highlights was when Alabama’s Nick Saban showed up. Needless to say he received a hero’s welcome, with the crowd going wild as he got out of the SUV. I actually stood behind Saban for about 30 minutes as we watched practice. Other notables in attendance that I noticed were 49'ers Head Coach Mike Singletary, Rams Head Coach Steve Spagunolo, former Redskins Head Coach Jim Zorn and new Redskins Defensive Coordinator Jim Haslett. For the first time since I’ve been coming down here I saw a CNN camera crew. Do you think that had anything to do with Tebow?

   After practice I briefly caught up with Alabama NT Terrence Cody and asked what his target weight was. Cody said he is trying to get down to 345 pounds and hopes to show that despite his considerable girth (370 at this mornings weigh-in) he is well conditioned. Georgia DT Jeff Owens also stopped me after practice and said that he visits Draft Countdown. Jeff obviously has excellent taste and will be moving up my rankings in the near future. Just kidding. I also overheard Miami (FL) TE Jimmy Graham say he was offered $180,000 to play pro basketball in Europe but passed it up because he loves football.

   I am on my way to the media night now and will try to get a little typing done in the car before it starts. Afterwards I will check in with another blog update.

• 9:15pm CST - Just got back to the hotel. It’s already been a pretty long day and I still have to type up the practice report, the player / team observations and add the comments to the weigh-in page.

   Hopefully the caffeine kicks in soon!

   The media night was a blast and the Senior Bowl folks do an outstanding job of putting it together. The best part of it is how helpful they are. If you want to talk to a player and can’t find them all you have to do is ask one of the attendants and they go and get them. The plan was to exchange contact information with a handful of prospects that I’m interested in interviewing for the site so I can reach out and set something up in the coming months. That mission was accomplished! Here is a list of the guys that I spoke to tonight:

   Looks for those interviews at Draft Countdown between now and Draft Day!

   The following are a few quick-hit notes from my conversations with the players:

* Sean Weatherspoon is super outgoing and friendly. I can already tell he is going to be one of the best prospect interviews I’ve ever conducted. Can’t wait!

* Brandon Graham is open to playing outside linebacker but will be working at defensive end all week. Another guy who was very friendly.

* I asked Patrick Robinson what the #1 thing he wanted to show or prove this week was and he replied: “That I’m the best cornerback in the country”.

* Vladimir Ducasse is originally from Haiti and lived there until 2002. Vlad still has family there but he said that they are all okay. What great news that is!

* Jared Odrick is hearing from a lot of 3-4 teams that are interested in him as a five-technique and he is open to playing at that position and in that scheme.

* I asked Dan Williams what changed this year and enabled him to go from a middle round pick to a potential first rounder. He said that Monte Kiffin taught him how to work and practice hard. Williams also said that he thinks he could excel in either a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme and doesn't have a preference.

   This will be the last blog entry for tonight. I am going to knock out all of those other reports though so watch for those on the site later on tonight.

• 6:30am CST - Everyone ready for Day Two!?!

   The Senior Bowl week is always super fun but it's also quite exhausting and yesterday was a perfect example. When all was said and done it was essentially a 20+ hour work day with little or no break followed by a whopping three hours of sleep. I’m not the only one putting in these long days though because from talking with friends from other draft sites they too end up burning the midnight oil. In many ways the day is only half over when all of the events end because then it’s time to type up all of the reports, which takes hours and hours. It’s tough to complain about a day spent watching, talking and writing about football though!

   In case you haven’t heard Wisconsin’s O’Brien Schofield tore the ACL in his left knee yesterday. This is a real shame as Schofield was a player I really liked and he was starting to generate some momentum after winning earning defensive MVP honors at the East-West Shrine Game last week. This will obviously be a huge blow to Schofield’s stock. Prior to the injury I felt Schofield had a legitimate chance to come off the board as early as the third round but he will likely drop at least a couple of frames now. Don’t forget about Schofield though because I think he could be a major steal for some 3-4 team as an outside linebacker.

   I also wanted to touch on some of the players who dropped out of the game, most notably Oklahoma’s Trent Williams, L.S.U.’s Brandon LaFell, T.C.U.’s Jerry Hughes and USC’s Charles Brown. I still have to do some investigating to see why these guys opted not to participate after originally committing but unless they are injured all four should be in attendance because they definitely have plenty to gain by being here. In fact, at this point Williams is the only likely first rounder in that group. These guys could end up regretting their decision on Draft Day.

• 7:30am CST - For those who haven’t had a chance to read yesterday’s reports yet there is a quick way to catch up: Simply tune in to the Draft Countdown podcast later this morning! I will be breaking down everything that happened on Day One in a 30 minute show starting at 8:00am CST, which you can listen to live at www.primesportsnetwork.com or download later either there or on iTunes. You can even call in and ask a question! I will be doing these shows at the same time throughout the remainder of the week so be sure to check them out.

• 8:45am CST - Today is the start of the “normal” schedule, meaning there are two practices and a press conference on the docket. The North team will take the field from 9:30am to 11:00am while the South will follow from 1:45am to 3:15am. All of those times are central and both sessions will take place at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, as will the rest of the practices this week.

   This will be the first time all of the scouts, coaches, front-office people, agents, and media will be in one place so there should be a lot of action and buzz. In that two hour gap between practices I am going to try and get a good jumpstart on typing up my report from the morning session but I will do my best to check in with a new blog entry as well. I will also be tweeting live from the practices again today so if you aren't following me on Twitter yet now is a great time to start.

• 12:00pm CST - Just finished up at the North practice. It’s another gorgeous day and there were a lot of excellent performances. In fact, I was much more impressed with the North squad today than I was the South yesterday. Look for the full practice report later tonight but some of the standouts were Boise State CB Kyle Wilson, Idaho OG Mike Iupati, Michigan DE Brandon Graham and Missouri OLB Sean Weatherspoon. Arkansas State DE Alex Carrington, a small school sleeper, also surprised me and flashed quite a few times.

   I spent a lot of time watching the offensive and defensive linemen with Matt Bitonti from Draft Daddy.com and also caught up with Jon Cozart, an aspiring scout who is covering the Senior Bowl for my old friend Colin Lindsay of the GBN Report. Saw ESPN’s Chris Mortensen at practice as well. Also spoke with Nate Haber, who represents Selvish Capers, Devin McCourty, Mardy Gilyard and Dorin Dickerson. Nate said that he thinks Capers will ultimately end up at left tackle in the pros. There are a couple of roster additions to report too: San Jose State DE Justin Cole was brought in to replace the injured O’Brien Schofield and Kentucky FB John Conner will be the South's fullback.

   I am going to try and type up as much of this morning’s practice report as possible before it’s time to head back to Ladd-Peebles for the afternoon session. I will check in with another blog entry afterwards. Be sure to keep an eye on my Twitter account too because I am posting updates and tidbits there as well.

• 5:00pm CST - The South practice just wrapped up a little bit ago and I’m now back at the Riverview in the media workroom. Free Powerade! Some of the notable attendees that I noticed in the crowd this afternoon were Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks, Jack Del Rio of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Mississippi State Head Coach Dan Mullen.

   Unlike yesterday I definitely saw some very impressive performances from the South squad today, most notably Georgia DT Geno Atkins and Ole Miss OG John Jerry. Look for that full practice report, along with the North’s, later on tonight. Following practice I caught up with Atkins and asked him about his weight. Atkins said he is comfortable at 290 pounds and that is what he played at as a senior. I also asked if he has trouble putting on / keeping on weight, which is sometimes the case, but he insisted that wasn’t an issue. I also noticed that despite his below average bulk Atkins actually has a pretty thick lower body.

   I also had a chance to speak with Charlie Campbell from PewterReport.com to get some information on Tampa Bay. Charlie said that the Buccaneers have shown considerable interest in Cal DT Tyson Alualu, Missouri OLB Sean Weatherspoon and Ole Miss RB / WR Dexter McCluster so far this week. Everyone assumes that the Bucs will target Ndamukong Suh, Gerald McCoy or Eric Berry with the #3 overall pick and Campbell agreed that was probably the case. However, I asked what their plan might be for Round 2 and he mentioned defensive end, middle linebacker and wide receiver as likely targets. If you are a Tampa Bay fan you have to check out Pewter Report because they do an outstanding job of covering the Buccaneers, especially in regards to the NFL Draft.

   The press conference begins at 5:30pm and I was told that Georgia’s Geno Atkins, Ole Miss’ Dexter McCluster (who is actually standing right next to me grabbing some ice cream bars as I type this) and Michigan’s Brandon Graham would be there. Oregon’s LeGarrette Blount might also come but they hadn’t been able to reach him to confirm. Hopefully the coaches come as well. Once that is over I am going to head back to my hotel and get to work on all of the reports. It looks like it will be another late night! Be sure to check back later for today’s practice reports, player / team observations and a recap of the press conference.

   In the meantime here is a pic of what the scene looked like at practice today:

• 7:30am CST - Good morning from Mobile!

   After getting only three hours of sleep the night before I was able to get a whopping five hours last night so I am rip-roaring and ready to go!

   All of yesterday’s reports are up on the site so be sure to check them out.

   Today’s schedule will be essentially the same as yesterday’s. The North practice runs from 9:30am to 11:30 am and the South from 1:45pm to 3:15pm, with a press conference at 5:30pm. Stop back throughout the day for updates and also be sure to follow me on Twitter for real-time thoughts on what’s happening down here at the 2010 Senior Bowl. I'm closing in on 1,000 followers and if I reach that number before the end of this week I may have a special prize for that person.

   As has been the case all week I will be doing a new podcast recapping yesterday’s action this morning at 8:00am. I actually ran the show all by myself for the first time ever yesterday and while there is definitely plenty of room for improvement I think it went all right. Today I’ll be joined by my old friend Matt Bitonti from DraftDaddy.com, who is also down here covering the game, to get his thoughts on the week so far. You can tune in at www.primesportsnetwork.com and if you aren't able to catch it live simply download the archive later on at that same address or on iTunes. Please feel free to call in if you have a question too!

   Afterwards I’ll be heading right over to Ladd-Peebles for the first practice but I’ll check in with a new blog entry afterwards. Enjoy today's coverage!

• 4:30pm CST - Sorry I didn’t pop in with an update between the sessions but I was running short on time and really didn’t have much to report anyway.

   Let’s start with some roster news. Jon Asamoah, who suffered a shoulder injury, was replaced by Vanderbilt OT Thomas Welch. Also joining the North team today were Youngstown State WR Donald Jones and Maryland FB Cory Jackson. Alabama TE Colin Peek missed practice today with a stomach bug as well.

   I'll give a full rundown of both practices later tonight but in the meantime here's a list of the players who impressed me the most today. In no particular order:

   I met a couple of notable people at the South practice this afternoon. First up was Lamont Smith from All Pro Sports & Entertainment. Smith has represented everyone from Barry Sanders to Jerome Bettis over the years and in this draft some of his clients include Oklahoma State OT Russell Okung, Penn State DT Jared Odrick and Alabama CB Javier Arenas. I am hoping to set up an interview with Okung, who could be a Top 5 pick, sometime in the near future. I also ran into Danny O’Neil, who covers the Seahawks for the Seattle Times. Danny is one of the top beat writers in the NFL and definitely one of my favorites.

   I'm on my way to the press conference but I’ll post one more entry later tonight.

• 8:00pm CST - Just got back to my hotel.

   It was a great press conference tonight. Maybe the best I've been to. In addition to the two coaches, Jim Schwartz and Tony Sparano, we also heard from Javier Arenas, Sean Weatherspoon, Mike Iupati and Jimmy Graham. While all of these guys did a nice job Iupati was especially impressive. That guy has aced every single test this week and he is making himself a ton of money in Mobile.

   I will be hard at work all evening typing up today’s coverage. In addition to that press conference report I’ll also be knocking out both practice reports and the player / team observations. So with that I’m going to sign off for today.

   Time to get busy!

• 6:00am CST - Good morning!

   I have to admit this averaging four hours of sleep per night is starting to wear on me. Plus my face got absolutely roasted by the sun yesterday. That is what happens when you come somewhere warm and sunny after months of hibernating indoors braving a Minnesota winter. Even so, there is no place else I’d rather be than the Senior Bowl. Yesterday during practice I caught myself thinking what an awesome experience and opportunity this game really is. If you’re a draftnik and can ever make it down here I highly recommend it.

   Today is basically the last day of practice and I am sure both teams will just be in shells. In fact, a lot of the scouts, coaches and front office people have already begun heading home. Draft Countdown will be here through the weekend though!

   I am putting the finishing touches on yesterday’s reports and hope to have everything up on the site before it’s time to head out for this morning’s practice.

   Be sure to tune in to the podcast at 8am CST at www.primesportsnetwork.com. Today I will be joined by Matt McGuire from WalterFootball.com to get his thoughts on the 2010 Senior Bowl week. If you miss it you can always check out the archive by going to that same address or downloading it off of iTunes. I am also working on a nice prize for the person who ends up being my 1,000th follower on Twitter. If you aren’t following me yet what are you waiting for? Just one more plug: Don't forget to stop by for the Live Chat I'll be conducting on Friday at 3pm CST. If you have a question that will be your opportunity to ask it.

   I'll check in with an entry after the North practice if there is anything to report.

• 11:30am CST - Just got done at the North practice.

   It was a pretty sparse crowd and, as expected, most of the NFL people are already heading home. The players were just in helmets and shorts today so it was a light session but there was still plenty to see. Look for that report later tonight.

   After practice I was finally able to catch up with Utah’s Koa Misi to ask about his position. Misi played defensive end for the Utes but he’s been playing outside linebacker exclusively in Mobile. Misi said that he has been talking to both 4-3 and 3-4 teams but he thinks he will end up at linebacker in either scheme. It would appear as though Misi is an ideal fit as a pass rushing ‘backer in a “30” front but I guess he could maybe play SAM in a “40”.

   I also met Bill Johnson from ProFiles Sports, Inc. and they are representing nine players that are at the Senior Bowl. Alabama’s Rolando McClain, who is one of my favorite players in this draft, is one of their clients as well so I hope to eventually set up an interview with him. Another guy who they represent is East Carolina DT Linval Joseph, who came out as a junior when Skip Holtz left to take the South Florida job. They are supposedly hearing a lot of good things from scouts about Joseph and the 6-6, 322 pounder is a nose tackle prospect. To be completely honest I never really focused on Joseph while watching Pirates games since he wasn’t expected to come out but I’ll definitely be looking into him further.

   I am going to try and get some typing done before the South practice starts and I also have radio interviews set up both before and afterwards. There is no rest for the weary during Senior Bowl week! I will check in again late afternoon.

• 5:00pm CST - Well, all of the real Senior Bowl practices are over. Technically we still have the walk-throughs but those are always extremely uneventful.

   There isn’t much to report in the sightings department from this afternoon, other than Captain Munnerlyn of the Carolina Panthers being there to cheer on his former teammate Eric Norwood. This practice was pretty crowded though, with a lot of Florida and Alabama fans in attendance. Luckily I had access to the other side of the field, which was much less crowded, thanks to my media credentials. Just a couple of notes: Alabama TE Colin Peek did not practice again today and he is still battling a stomach bug / food poisoning. Ole Miss WR Shay Hodge didn't participate either due to a foot injury. Both were in attendance though and if I had to guess I’d say there's a good chance they'll play in the game.

   I am over at the Riverview in the media room right now waiting for the final press conference of the week to start. I just ran into Alabama DE Brandon Deadrick downstairs. Brandon isn’t playing in this game but he’s down here pressing the flesh and getting his name out. Checking in at 6-5 and 310 pounds (which he carries well), Deadrick could project to either defensive end or defensive tackle at the next level. In my opinion he’s a perfect fit at the five-technique in a “30” front, which is what he played in college with the Crimson Tide. I think Deadrick has a chance to be either a third or fourth round pick in April.

   I'm going to head over to the press conference but I will check in when I get back to the hotel.

• 8:30pm CST - Back at my hotel.

   The press conference was fun. Detroit Lions Head Coach Jim Schwartz was making fun of those who are planning on going to the walk-through tomorrow, joking that he may not even be there. I am sure there will be little or nothing to report but I will be there just in case! Other than the coaches the other press conference attendees were Central Michigan QB Dan LeFevour, Oklahoma St. QB Zac Robinson, Boise St. CB Kyle Wilson and Texas DT Lamarr Houston. I'll have a report with my notes up as soon as possible.

   I was also able to pick up my game credentials tonight, which is nice since it will save me a trip back to Riverview tomorrow. Unfortunately I didn’t get a parking pass so unless I can sweet talk my way into the lot on Saturday it looks like a long walk to the stadium is in my future. At least it won’t be raining (hopefully!). A few years ago I had to park about four blocks away from Ladd-Peebles and wound up walking back to the car in a torrential downpour.

   Well, I am going to get as much of the reports typed up tonight as possible and then get up early tomorrow to finish them up. Luckily after today the schedule really lightens up and I am definitely looking forward to having tomorrow evening off. Then on Saturday I even get to sleep in a bit!!! Oh, before I sign off for the night I wanted to make sure and remind everyone to drop by for the Live Chat tomorrow afternoon at 3:00pm CST. I plan on going for a couple of hours so if you have a question about the Senior Bowl or NFL Draft this is your chance to ask it. There was an awesome turnout last year so hopefully that’s the case again.

   Be sure to stop back tomorrow to find out how you can win a prize!

   How's that for a teaser!

• 7:00am CST - It’s hard to believe the week is already winding down.

   Here is what today’s schedule looks like:

• 8:00am – 8:30am CST = The weeks final podcast in which I will discuss what happened at Thursday’s practices and preview the game. You can listen in live or download the archive later at www.primesportsnetwork.com or on iTunes.

• 9:30am – 10:30am CST = North Team Walk-Through

• 10:30am – 11:30am CST = South Team Walk-Through

• 12:00pm = Type up a new blog entry and the walk-through reports.

• 3:00pm – 5:00pm CST = Host the annual Senior Bowl Q&A.

   After that I finally get a little downtime! I usually end up grabbing something to eat, checking out a movie to get my mind off of football for a couple hours and then maybe finding someplace to have a few cold beverages. Someone recommended Boo Radley’s as a fun place to go so I may stop by there. The Senior Bowl also opened a new museum and I would like to visit that at some point.

   Before I head out for the walk-through’s I will post one more blog entry with details on how you can win that prize I mentioned yesterday. Stay tuned!

• 8:45am CST -

   How would you like to win this autographed 8x10 of USC’s Taylor Mays?

   It can be yours if you are my 1,000th follower on Twitter!

   All you have to do is follow me and if you are lucky #1,000 the inked photo will be yours. As of this morning I am at 835 followers so it’s just 165 more to go!

   Here is the link:

• 12:30pm CST - Just got back from the walk-throughs. It was every bit as uneventful as expected. I would give you some details right now but I only have a few notes and I need to save those for the report.

   One notable thing that happened was I finally met Florida QB Tim Tebow for the first time. I was waiting for Coach Sparano to come over so I could ask about the quarterback rotation for the game and there he was. When I shook hands with Tebow it was like a lightning bolt coursing through my veins and I am now changed forever! Just kidding.

   In all seriousness he is a real nice kid and in that regard Tebow has lived up to all of the expectations and then some this week. I think almost everyone is rooting for Tim Tebow to succeed, I know I am.

   As for the contest, we have a new plan. Instead of giving the autographed photo of Taylor Mays to the 1,000th follower on Twitter I will instead randomly draw a name using this website that one of my Tweeps suggested. In other words if you are following me when we hit that magic number you will have a chance to win the pic, which I have to say is pretty cool.

   I am going to get to work typing up the walk-through report. Don’t forget to join me this afternoon at 3:00pm CST / 4:00pm EST for the annual Senior Bowl Q&A.

• 5:00pm CST - Just finished the Senior Bowl Q&A, you can view the entire transcript by clicking here. I answered questions for two full hours!

   We are making progress on the Twitter contest too. Remember, once I hit 1,000 followers I’ll do a random drawing for that autographed 8x10 of USC’s Taylor Mays. If you aren’t following me yet this is the time to start and if you already are please let your fellow football fanatic friends know about @DraftCountdown.

   The plan for tonight is to catch a flick and grab a few cold ones. I wanted to see either Up in the Air or Youth in Revolt but neither is playing in Mobile so it looks like it will be The Book of Eli. Either way it will be nice to get my mind off of football for a few hours. Then I get to sleep in tomorrow, which will be awesome!

   This is the end of today’s coverage but I will be back at it again tomorrow.

• 9:00am CST - Well, that was a fun evening.

   First up was a movie. I saw The Book of Eli, which was okay and about what I expected. I’d classify it as one to see if you’re bored but wouldn’t recommend going out of your way. Afterwards I hit up an Irish pub named Paddy O’Toole’s, which was awesome. It’s a laid back place with a lot of character. There aren’t any windows and the entrance is just a plain green door. I felt like I was going to a speakeasy. The first thing you notice when you walk in is that the place is covered with dollar bills, which visitors sign and staple to the walls. Also, regulars have their own personalized mugs. How cool is that! I seriously thought about buying one but I figured it wasn’t worth paying $30 to only use once a year. If I had bought one it would’ve been there waiting for me though! Another thing I noticed is that they have real dartboards, not those electronic ones with the plastic tips. You don’t see that very often these days. If you're ever in Mobile you have to stop in to Paddy O’Toole’s, it will definitely be a new Senior Bowl week tradition for me.

   While at Paddy O’Toole’s I met an interesting guy. His name is Sean Robinson and he is traveling across the United States with his dog, Cooper, on a rickshaw. The plan is to cover 10,000 miles in one year! I encourage everyone to check out his website, where he is constantly providing updates from the road. It's a pretty amazing story and from this point on I know I will be following his journey!

   I finally got to sleep in this morning too! After averaging about four hours of sleep per night this week it was awesome to get a full eight hours. I woke up at 6am and thought to myself “Normally I would’ve been up for an hour and a half by now and not only am I still in bed but I get to sleep for another three hours. Needless to say I am now refreshed and can’t wait for the game this afternoon.

   I will check back in with another entry before I head out for the stadium.

• 12:00pm CST - Just getting ready to head out the door for the game. The plan is to get there at least a couple of hours before the 3pm CST kick-off to watch the warm-ups and soak in the atmosphere. It rained quite a bit yesterday but even though the forecast (mid-40's) doesn’t call for it to be as warm as it was earlier in the week it’s certainly nothing a true Minnesotan such as myself can’t handle. Besides, it should at least be dry and based on my years of experience coming to Mobile that’s about all you can ask for. I have access to the press box just in case but as long as the weather holds up I’ll be taking in the game from the sidelines.

   I will be posting a report with some of my thoughts from the game later tonight but here are a few of the guys that I am planning to pay extra close attention to:

   Of course I am interested to see Florida QB Tim Tebow. Regardless of how you feel about Tebow as a pro prospect he is undoubtedly one of the greatest players in college football history and it will be a treat to see him up close. As I have mentioned in the past running back is usually one of the most difficult positions to evaluate during the week of practices so I will really be watching them very closely this afternoon. Will Dexter McCluster of Ole Miss be as impressive in the game as he was in the practices? I want to see whether Florida WR Riley Cooper can beat the jam and how much separation he gets from top cornerbacks. I’ll be watching to see how Miami (FL) TE Jimmy Graham handles himself when matched up against players who are much more experienced and polished than he is. I came to the Senior Bowl with high expectations for Massachusetts OT Vladimir Ducasse but after disappointing me during the practices but perhaps he will play better in the game. I also want to see West Virginia OT Selvish Capers, who may see action on both the left and right sides, in pass protection. Arkansas St. DE Alex Carrington was a revelation this week but can he do it in a game situation as well? I am also holding out hope that some of the undersized defensive ends will get a few reps at linebacker. Inside I will be watching to see how Alabama NT Terrence Cody holds up when it comes to his stamina at 370 lbs. and will also keep an eye on Louisiana Tech DT D’Anthony Smith to see if he lives up to the advance billing many scouts have given him. I was really surprised by how good Washington LB Donald Butler looked this week so I can’t wait to see him in action and it will be very interesting to see how Utah’s Koa Misi handles himself in his first game as a linebacker after playing defensive end in college. At cornerback both Brandon Ghee of Wake Forest and Devin McCourty of Rutgers were inconsistent during the week so they require further evaluation. Perhaps the biggest thing I’ll be looking out for during the game are the instincts and awareness of Southern Cal S Taylor Mays. Lastly, I can't wait to see if Florida St. S Myron Rolle looks nearly as good in the game as he has in everything else.

   Finally, a couple of predictions:

   I am going to pick the South to win the game. I just think they have superior talent at almost every position. Score? Let's say 17-10. Also, I would be really surprised if Tim Tebow didn’t take home MVP honors. In recent years mobile quarterbacks like Michael Robinson and Pat White have done very well in the actual Senior Bowl game and then when you factor in all of the hoopla and hype surrounding Tebow this entire week the stars sure seem to be aligned.

   There won’t be another blog entry until this evening when I get back to the hotel. However, I will be posting plenty of thoughts on Twitter throughout the game. Also, don’t forget that once I get to 1,000 followers I will be drawing a random name to receive that autographed 8x10 of USC’s Taylor Mays!

   Enjoiy the game, I know I will!

• 9:00pm CST - As usual the actual game was one of the highlights of the week for me. It was definitely a little chilly but there’s nothing wrong with that. Heck, it was football weather! There was an enthusiastic sell-out crowd on hand and to no one’s surprise a lot of Tim Tebow fans. Whenever Tebow took the field the crowd went wild and on numerous occasions they would begin chanting “Tebow - Tebow - Tebow”. One other intersting tidbit: While watching the game from the sidelines I heard fans behind me yelling for someone named “Greg” to sign autographs. As it turns out Greg McElroy, starting quarterback for the National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide, was standing right next to me. That's one of the cool things about the Senior Bowl, you never know who you’re going to see.


   I will be writing a report on my initial impressions from the game soon but the two guys who stood out the most were Michigan DE Brandon Graham and Missouri LB Sean Weatherspoon. Graham in particular had an amazing game to go along with a stellar week of practices. I was also impressed with Alabama NT Terrence Cody, who truly is a force in the middle.

   I just want to take a second to thank the Senior Bowl, specifically their Public Relations Director Kevin McDermond, for not only putting on a first-class event but also giving me access to it. Sometimes people who run websites don’t get the same respect as other media outlets but that has never been the case at the Senior Bowl. By approving my credential request and treating me as a full-fledged member of the media the Senior Bowl enables me to provide in-depth coverage of the week to tens of thousands of other draftniks.

   The 2010 Senior Bowl is now officially over so this will be my final blog entry. However, be sure to keep checking the Senior Bowl Headquarters page the next couple of days for a complete review of the entire week as well as a Stock Watch feature. Thank you all for your continued support, I hope you enjoyed this year’s Senior Bowl coverage as much as I enjoyed providing it. Just think, in less than a year it will be time to do it all over again! I will be hopping a plane and heading back to Minnesota in the morning so this is Scott Wright signing off from Mobile.