Players Having Fun During NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Game Practice

Story by L.T. Willis




The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Game will be the start of a new era on how
college football players become men in the NFL.



The smell of football lurk in the air as players from across the country were selected to play in the inaugural  Astro Turf NFLPA Collegiate Bowl  Game to be held on January 21, 2012 at the Home Depot Center in Carson. Media Day for the event was very special  because of what the game would mean to future NFL players and to be coach by two coaches who won Super Bowls Tom Flores from the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders and Dick Vermeil from the St. Louis Rams.



Players working hard at the NFLPA Bowl practice during agility drills.





Dick Vermeil would be coaching the National Team which feature former players from the NFL Issac Bruce who was on the the St. Louis Rams Super Bowl Team coach by Dick Vermeil, Priest Holmes, Eric Hicks, Terry Shea, Darnell Dinkins just to name a few. Tom Flores coaching the American team  his coaching staff included Rod Martin from the Los Angeles Raiders Super Bowl team, Robert Griffith, Marlin Bayless, Matthew Hatchette just to name a few for his staff.





Tulsa QB G.J. Kinne & University of Miami QB Jacory Harris



Some of main players like LSU quarterback Jarrett Lee and some other players were just glad to be invited to take play in a all star game that would set the tone for future NFL players to have a brighter  career and a system that would help players become better businessmen and educate players about life in the NFL. Another quarterback was fun to talk with was  University of Miami's Jacory Harris how this game was a honor for him to be selected and to play against guys who he also admire as players.

National Team defense during practice.



Watching the guys having fun and a chance to talk with other players from the other squad you could sense  the excitement the players and the coaches were going thru for some their second collegiate all star game, others just glad to be in southern California for some warm weather. Many of these young men we will be watching on Sunday as the get a taste of life in the NFL. The NFLPA are doing something that i feel is the right thing to do and that is looking out for the future of young men coming to the NFL and what two better coaches to have to show them the right way of being professional football players than Tom Flores and Dick Vermeil. All photos are by Eric Wade/ T.G. Sports and EW Gems Images.



Dick Vermeil



Tom Flores.