Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Vince Williams is a perfect example of why draft hopeful players should take part in the annual Senior Bowl if given the opportunity.
Williams, who wound up being drafted by the Steelers in the sixth-round last April, really caught the eyes of the coaching staff and front office last January when he was added as a mid-week injury replacement, according to general manager Kevin Colbert.
“He came in on Tuesday and joined practice, and right away he kind of jumped out,” Colbert said in an interview for the official website. “Everyone was asking, ‘Who’s this new guy?’ We had grades on him, and then he started to do some things, he practiced very hard.
Colbert went on to say that he amended Williams’ evaluation that they already had on him based on what they observed of him during the week of the Senior Bowl and that they made sure to attend the Florida State Pro Day as a result, because the linebacker wasn’t invited to take part in the combine.
The Steelers figure to be in need of a lot of defensive help this year during the draft, so it stands to reason that a few players not high on the national radar that were in attendance in Mobile last week could wind up hearing their name called in May when the Steelers are on the clock.
Phil Savage, the Executive Director of the 2014 Reese’s Senior Bowl, recently reported that Steelers representatives talked to at least 60 players last week and according to Colbert, head coach Mike Tomlin was involved in those interviews this year.
In case you missed it, here is the initial list of players that took part in the 2014 Senior Bowl along with their official measurements.