MOBILE — Alabama is well represented at this week’s Senior Bowl activities, and that includes after two star Alabama defenders dropped out for personal reasons prior to the event.
Linebacker Rashaan Evans and cornerback Anthony Averett were last-minute dropouts. Averett decided to dedicate the time to recover from a sprained ankle he sustained after stepping off the bus and tripping on the curb at the Sugar Bowl. Evans decided to train for the combine.
But the Crimson Tide players who did make the event — Da’Shawn Hand, Levi Wallace, J.K. Scott, Shaun Dion Hamilton and Bradley Bozeman — will spend the week trying to show an NFL team their value.
Senior Bowl Executive Director Phil Savage gave his thoughts on the Alabama players prior to Tuesday’s first practice.
What to watch for
Da’Shawn Hand: “Da’Shawn’s got a ton of talent. I think this is an important week for him because he can get a chance to showcase some of his individual skill as a pass rusher and those sorts of things. I think it’s an important week for him.”
Levi Wallace: “Levi’s one of the great stories of this college season to me. We talk about him a lot on the radio broadcast, but to go from being a walk on to a starter at Alabama, you know, not a lot of guys have done that. I think this is going to be a good test for him to be out there on an island in some one-on-one coverage. I think he can really make some in-roads in terms of what his future NFL Draft prospects might be.”
J.K. Scott: “J.K. Scott, you know I’ve said many times that I think J.K. will punt in the league for 10-plus years. He’s super talented. He’s got the whole repertoire of punts and he can kick off. I think his future is very bright as far as having a long career in the league.”
Bradley Bozeman: “So Bradley Bozeman, the man in the middle, it’s been a heck of a couple of weeks for him. The national championship, a proposal, a Senior Bowl invite. I think with Bradley, he’s handled a lot of the calls in terms of coordinating with the quarterbacks. He’s a big center. He’s big for the position. I think the challenge for him will be the one-on-one pass rush, if he’s on an island and has a guy who’s trying to bore down on him and push the pocket.”
Banged up
Shaun Dion Hamilton: “And of course Shaun Dion Hamilton will be here just for interviews. He was sort of the nerve center for the ‘Bama defense. And as a signal caller, there’s always room for someone like that because I do think he has some flexibility to play some different spots as a communicator, so that will help him once he gets his help back.”
Anthony Averett: “Anthony, he had the accident with the step off the curb, off the bus onto the curb so he just sort of gutted it out to get through those last two games. He just wasn’t 100 percent healthy.”
Reach Aaron Suttles at aaron@tidesports.com or at 205-722-0229.
