Stars try to turn NFL dreams into reality
By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer
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| At the foot of a valley in the volcanic west Maui mountains, the 'Aina offensive line goes a walk--through practice for today's Hula Bowl.
Reed Saxon • Associated Press Hula Bowl Maui WHAT: College football all-star game WHERE: War Memorial Stadium, Maui WHEN: 3 p.m. today TV: Live, ESPN2. Blacked out on Maui. RADIO: Live, KGU (760 AM) on O'ahu; KAOI (1110 AM) on Maui. TICKETS: $25-$35. Information: (808) 874-9500 or www.hula bowlmaui.com |
With nearly 100 scouts from all 32 National Football League teams, the Hula Bowl has become the NFL's real-life Star Search.
"Just by seeing the number of scouts here, I think the players have a lot on the line," said Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen, who will lead the Kai team. "They're trying to impress people and they're talking about their futures."
The Hula Bowl, one of the most prestigious college football all-star games in the country, starts at 3 p.m. at War Memorial Stadium and will be televised on ESPN2.
University of Hawai'i defensive end Houston Ala, wide receiver Jeremiah Cockheran, safety Hyrum Peters and defensive tackle Lance Samuseva will suit up for the game, along with four other players with Hawai'i ties — Kansas State offensive lineman Jesse Keaulana-Kamakea, Arizona linebacker Joe Siofele, Utah offensive lineman Sean Souza and UCLA defensive tackle David Tautofi.
"It's a great showcase for them," said Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, who will lead the 'Aina team. "It's gives them a chance to compete with the better athletes who are graduating. In some ways, it gives them confidence, that they can play with the top dogs."
Tressel also said the Hula Bowl offers players a chance to meet professional scouts, and the scouts a chance to see the players' work ethic.
For many of the players, the NFL would be a dream. Some, such as Cockheran, want to take it a step further.
"I don't want to make it a dream," Cockheran said. "I want to make it a reality. That's why I'm out here doing my best. All I need is my foot in the door. All you need is one team to like you. If you get that, you'll be all right and you'll have a bright future."
Added Friedgen: "It's like seeing minor league players in baseball; they're going to be future stars. There are kids in this game who are going to be future stars in the NFL."
The Hula Bowl also benefits the scouts.
"If you haven't seen the kid, you want to get a body description on him," said George Saimes, the Houston Texans' national scout. "You try to get a feeling on him. See how the kid moves around athletically.
"You're looking for athletic movement and anything else you can get from there," Saimes continued. "(Scouts) want to see how hard they practice, but sometimes you don't get that out of an all-star game."
Oakland Raiders scout Bruce Kebric said a good showing could better the players' draft position by a few rounds.
"We see these guys so much now, it's not going to rise a lot," Kebric said. "You're talking about a guy maybe in the fourth round, and if he works out well and plays well in the all-star game, he could rise to the second round."
Several NFL players have done just that in the Hula Bowl, including Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Hugh Douglas (Central State, Ohio) and Dallas Cowboys defensive end Eric Ogbogu (Maryland). Ogbogu won MVP honors in 1998.
"The greatest example I can cite is Hugh Douglas when he came to Honolulu," said John Dorsey, a former Green Bay Packers linebacker who is the director of college scouting for the team. "He made a name for himself in this game. That elevated his draft status considerably. He went from probably a fourth-round pick to a first-round pick (with the New York Jets)."
Joey Clinkscales, the New York Jets' national scout, said the team drafted Ogbogu following a tremendous showing in the Hula Bowl.
"I think in the game, he had about (four) sacks," Clinkscales said. "You can improve your stock here. We drafted him and he played pretty good for us for a while, and now he's playing with the Dallas Cowboys. There are results of players who play really good here and turn out to be good football players."
One small-college player who has drawn interest from scouts is St. John's (Minn.) wide receiver Blake Elliott, who earned the Gagliardi Trophy given to the most outstanding Division III player.
Elliott wants scouts to take notice of him, and his play this week will go a long way in making that happen.
"For me, this is basically the first and only impression that a lot of NFL scouts will have of me," Elliott said. "They're not going to go back and look at Division III tapes because the talent isn't comparable to guys here. I'm going to work my butt off this week and try to impress some people."
Reach Brandon Masuoka at bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2458.
