🏈 Fluker Allowed To Play In Senior Bowl.....

[mrchase]

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8860307/first-non-seniors-compete-senior-bowl

MOBILE, Ala. -- The NFL has cleared two non-seniors to compete in the Senior Bowl for the first time, opening the door to a wider pool of draft prospects for future games.
Senior Bowl executive director Phil Savage said Saturday that fourth-year junior offensive linemen D.J. Fluker of Alabama and Justin Pugh of Syracuse received that clearance. Both have graduated.

 

[0LDSCH00L]

Short on talented Seniors or what?

 

[TerryP]

Short on talented Seniors or what?

Or what.

Four years playing and holds a degree.

 

[tidentrue]

Or what.

Four years playing and holds a degree.

I like it if this stays the reason to allow it in the future, but not to all juniors declaring for the draft

 

[Bamabww]

I think it's good if the guys have graduated to allow them to play.

 

[BamaFan615]

Sounds like a fair idea to me. If someone's a senior (or further) academically, and foregoing their senior season that makes sense.

Also, has anyone seen any projections for DJ? Do most pro scouts see him as a Tackle or Guard? I would think Tackle because of his height, but the way he plays is almost more suited inside...just curious if anyone has seen or heard anything.

 

[0LDSCH00L]

I think it's good if the guys have graduated to allow them to play.

I guess unless you are the Senior that gets knocked out of the game or sits the bench because they allow Juniors?

Don't get me wrong I love DJ, but it is called the Senior Bowl, is it not?

 

[ElephantStomp]

I guess unless you are the Senior that gets knocked out of the game or sits the bench because they allow Juniors?

Don't get me wrong I love DJ, but it is called the Senior Bowl, is it not?

It is, but DJ holds a degree and has been in school for four years, so there is no difference between him and any other senior

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

The fact that he played at both Foley and McGill (Mobile) didn't hurt... he might not be playing this week because of a minor injury, but he can partake in the important team interviews and such... and for the Sr. Bowl... he will be a big draw at events.

 

[0LDSCH00L]

It is, but DJ holds a degree and has been in school for four years, so there is no difference between him and any other senior

There are enough Junior player who have already graduated to field an entire team. The Senior Bowl is supposed to be for SENIOR players that may not have gotten the notoriety of a DJ Fluker has had to show their stuff to the NFL scouts and coaches so that they might get a chance at the next level.

DJ is probably a top 25 pick without even playing in the Senior Bowl.

Consider this: A player like Alabama's Senior Michael Williams who is invited to play in the Senior Bowl now he finds out that they are going to let Florida Junior Jordan Reed play as well. Williams knows this is going to significantly cut into his playing time which reduce his chances of impressing the NFL scouts and coaches.

Is that really fair to Michael Williams?

You have to look at these things from both sides, that's all I am saying...

 

[Swamptick]

I have no problem with it. Fluker is, by all standards, a senior - despite minor technicalities.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

Williams knows this is going to significantly cut into his playing time which reduce his chances of impressing the NFL scouts and coaches.

The scouts all leave by Thursday afternoon, it's the practices (and sit-downs) they are interested in, and players all pretty much get equal reps by design.

Funny story on Michael Williams, this has happened to lots of players over the years at lots of places (especially at Alabama under Bryant), but Williams packed up and went home very quickly after his arrival at UA. It was "too tough". His mom basically told him to get his ass back there and suck it up. He did, and has turned out to be one of the top TE's headed into the draft... Kid comes from a good family...

 

[0LDSCH00L]

I have no problem with it. Fluker is, by all standards, a senior - despite minor technicalities.

You might see it as more than just a minor technicality if you were one of the other Offensive Linemen hoping and praying for just a chance:

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[TD]Alabama[/TD]
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[TD]65[/TD]
[TD]Garrett[/TD]
[TD]Gilkey[/TD]
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[TD]Chadron State[/TD]
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[TD]69[/TD]
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[TD]J.C.[/TD]
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[TerryP]

You might see it as more than just a minor technicality if you were one of the other Offensive Linemen hoping and praying for just a chance:

"Hoping and praying for just a chance" at what?

I believe you're putting far too much emphasis on 60 minutes of action on the 26th.

 

[0LDSCH00L]

"Hoping and praying for just a chance" at what?

I believe you're putting far too much emphasis on 60 minutes of action on the 26th.

Well, I guess that is according to where you are in the pecking order. If you are Fluker, it's all good. Then again if you are someone like Garrett Gilkey of Chadron State (or worse) if you were that 11th guy on the list of 10 Offensive Linemen that was supposed to get invited, then it's not good at all...

Terry, there have been many "off the radar" players that have really improved the position in the draft or just got noticed just by their participation and play in the Senior Bowl.

Why do you think DJ is there? He is there to improve his chances at being drafted higher and he might be taking someone's spot who really wanted to be there but was bumped and IS actually a Senior whose eligibility has actually expired.

The Senior Bowl is not for Great Junior players like DJ Fluker, it is for unknown Senior players like: Garrett Gilkey of Chadron State, and JC Tretter of Cornell IMO.

The week-long practice that precedes the game is attended by key NFL personnel (including coaches, general managers, and scouts), who oversee the players as possible prospects for pro football. At one point the Senior Bowl was the first chance its participants had to openly receive pay for participation in an athletic event. This was one reason that participation was limited to seniors whose eligibility for further participation in collegiate football had expired, and the game was also their first exposure to the slightly different professional rules.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senior_Bowl

[TABLE="width: 746"]
<tbody>[TR]
[TD]

Who plays in the Senior Bowl?


Each year, the Senior Bowl rosters feature the nation’s top senior collegiate football players and NFL draft prospects on teams representing the North and South.​

[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]

http://www.seniorbowl.com/faq.asp#faq6

Here is someone else who shouldn't be there sniffing around:

Ex-LSU star ‘Honey Badger’ Mathieu attends Senior Bowl practices


http://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...86531e-6421-11e2-889b-f23c246aa446_story.html

 

[planomateo]

I honestly don't care about the others who aren't there, so lets focus on the positive.

He doesn't look 355 lbs. Combine that with being 6 foot 4-7/8" and having a HUGE wingspan of 87".

 

[0LDSCH00L]

I honestly don't care about the others who aren't there, so lets focus on the positive.

He doesn't look 355 lbs. Combine that with being 6 foot 4-7/8" and having a HUGE wingspan of 87".

I am not trying to be negative at all. Like I have always said, I love DJ Fluker. This doesn't have anything to do with him, this is only about the Senior Bowl and the precedent they might be setting here by letting a Junior with eligibility left participate in the Senior Bowl.

If they start doing this for everyone where will it end? Where will it leave those unheralded Seniors who have always seen the Senior Bowl as their only chance to get noticed?

I will admit that I am obsessive about doing what's right and fair for everyone involved...:tennis:

I am just sticking up for those guys...

 

[UAgrad93]

This is just 1 more game where a kid will get 30-35 reps. A school's Pro Day and the NFL Combine will be where this little known kids jump out at scouts and coaches!

Mathieu was only there to watch. He isn't participating.