MOBILE, Ala. -- This was the Senior Bowl “Unplugged” -- a stripped-down version of the annual college all-star game that packs much of the NFL universe into Mobile, Alabama, for a few days in January.
Typically the Senior Bowl is part convention, part job fair, part mixer for team personnel, agents and media as much as it is an invaluable opportunity to evaluate some of the nation’s top draft prospects.
Last week, however, the restaurants and bars and hotel lobbies were practically barren as teams focused on the one return to normalcy they relished most: a chance to see these players up close and personal, both on the field and in interview sessions.