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Senior Bowl Features Seven from Southern Cal
Talented group of outstanding draft prospects includes four first-team All-Americans, the Mackey Award winner, the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year and one of the top quarterbacks in this year’s NFL Draft.
Photo - Lawrence Jackson - DE - Southern Cal
Seven outstanding NFL draft prospects from USC’s 2007 Pac-10 Champions – defensive linemen Sedrick Ellis and Lawrence Jackson, linebacker Keith Rivers, tight end Fred Davis, offensive lineman Sam Baker, running back Chauncey Washington and quarterback John David Booty – have accepted invitations to play in the 2008 Under Armour Senior Bowl, officials have announced.
Frank Coyle is a scouting consultant annually for the Senior Bowl.
The talented group includes four first-team All-Americans (Ellis, Rivers, Davis and Baker), the Mackey Award winner (Davis), the Pac-10’s Defensive Player of the Year (Ellis), and one of the top quarterbacks in this year’s NFL Draft (Booty).
Rivers, a two-time All-Pac-10 first-teamer and three-year starter, ranks second on the squad with 73 total tackles, 41 unassisted, and has added 4.5 tackles for loss and four pass breakups. A first-team SI.com All-American selection, the 6-3, 235-pounder from Lake Mary, Fla., was also a Butkus Award semi-finalist.
"It's an honor and a pleasure to be playing in such a prestigious game,� said Rivers. “The fact that I get to play with so many great players from USC makes it all the more special.�
Ellis, a 6-2, 305-pound defensive tackle, has been named to the Associated Press, Football Coaches, Football Writers, Walter Camp and Sporting News first-team all-American squads. In addition to the Pac-10’s top defensive player award, he was also the winner of the league’s Morris Trophy who has recorded 56 total tackles, 12.5 for loss with 8.5 sacks, and six pass deflections in 2007.
Considered one of the top quarterback prospects in this year’s NFL Draft, Booty passed for 2,106 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2007 despite missing three full games during his second season as the Trojans’ starting quarterback due to a broken finger on his throwing hand. The 6-3, 215-pounder from Shreveport, La., was a consensus first-team All-Pac-10 selection following his outstanding junior campaign in 2006 when he passed for 3,347 yards and 29 touchdowns. A finalist for the Manning Award that season, his 5,870 career passing yards currently ranks fifth on the all-time USC list.
Davis, who won the 2007 Mackey Award presented to the nation’s top tight end, was a first-team Sporting News All-American and All-Pac-10 selection who leads the Trojans with 55 receptions (a record for USC tight ends) for 794 yards and seven touchdowns. The 6-4, 250-pounder from Toledo, Ohio, has 110 career catches which is also a school record for tight ends.
An outstanding pass rusher, Jackson leads the Trojans with 14 tackles for loss and 9.5 quarterback sacks from his defensive end position. A 6-5, 270-pounder from Inglewood, Cal., he was also a first-team All-Pac-10 selection who has 55 total tackles, 27 unassisted.
In the Trojans’ key 44-24 victory over Arizona State on Thanksgiving night, he set a school record with four quarterback sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss.
Washington leads the Trojans with 894 rushing yards and nine touchdowns in 11 games. A 6-1, 220-pounder from Torrance, Cal., he also led the team in rushing as a junior in 2006 with 774 despite being hampered by injuries throughout the year.
The 6-5, 305-pound Baker became USC’s third-ever three-time All-American when he was named to the first-team Walter Camp All-American squad following the 2007 season. A four-year starter and three-time All-Pac-10 pick from Tustin, Cal., he was also a semifinalist for the 2007 Lombardi Award.
In 2006, he made the Football Writers and CBS Sportsline All-American first-teams, as well as the AP second-team. As a sophomore in 2005, he was a CBS Sportsline first-team All-American pick and an AP second-team selection.
The Under Armour Senior Bowl is the nation’s most unique football game and football’s premier pre-draft event, annually featuring the country’s best senior NFL draft prospects on teams representing the North and South that are coached by the entire coaching staffs from two National Football League teams. The Senior Bowl is also attended by over 800 NFL coaches, scouts and other front office personnel each year.
Over 575 former Senior Bowl players are currently active in the NFL, and the 2007 NFL Pro Bowl rosters featured 25 former Senior Bowl players. A total of 90 players from the 2007 Under Armour Senior Bowl were selected in the 2007 NFL Draft, including 12 first-round picks.
The 59th annual Under Armour Senior Bowl will be played on January 26, 2008, at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala. Kickoff is at 3:00 p.m. (CST). The game and its week-long practice sessions will be televised live by the NFL Network.