MOBILE, Ala. --There are about 700 students at South Carolina's Newberry College. Heath Benedict hopes they're all watching this weekend as he takes the field for the South All-Stars in the 2008 Senior Bowl.
As the only Division II player in this year's game, Benedict has had his hands full on the field and with a laundry list of questions concerning his ability and the opportunity to compete against players from power conferences -- including athletes from LSU, which won the BCS National Championship earlier this month.
"There's a difference but it's not as big as most people would think or say it is," Benedict said after Tuesday's practice.
There's little question as to Benedict's physical abilities. The 6-foot-6, 335-pound lineman was an All-Conference preseason selection and started his college career at the University of Tennessee. Some had that Volunteers recruiting class ranked in the top-five nationally.
The biggest challenge for Benedict is letting people know the arrow on his helmet is for Newberry, not Florida State.
"It's a very big honor and I'm glad to be here to represent my school and show Division II players can compete with the Division I guys," he said.
Tulane running back Matt Forte, another small-school player, turned some heads Tuesday with his combination of size and speed. He used both traits to rush for more than 2,100 yards and 23 touchdowns last season.
"It's a great opportunity to come out here with guys from big schools," he said. "There's a lot of competition out here. It makes me better."
QUARTERBACK TALK: Most of the crowds at this year's Senior Bowl have centered around players in yellow jerseys -- the quarterbacks. The trio of North team quarterbacks talked Tuesday about their draft status and picking up the offense for Saturday's game. The group includes Joe Flacco, who played at Delaware and is regarded as a player with plenty to prove and gain over the next few days.
"I definitely have a chip on my shoulder because small (school) guys always do," he said. "But, for this week? Not really. I'm just going to come out here and play football... I think if I just go out there and play my game everything is going to work itself out."
Chad Henne (Michigan) led his team to a bowl victory over Florida at the beginning off the month. He said he would like to build on that wave of momentum through this week. Mostly, he'd like to prove his abilities as a player and a leader.
"I think they can get a good look at what I'm doing here," he said.
BUSY TIMES: The crowd of NFL scouts, coaches and executives seems to grow every year here, which makes for some busy evenings for All-Stars. That's the time pro teams schedule personal interviews at the team hotel.
Scheduling the interviews can be difficult.
USC tackle Sam Baker was delayed for one post-practice interview with the media as he talked with a scout about his availability later in the evening. That said, NFL teams do most of their homework well before landing in Mobile.
"I think they know a lot about every player out here," LSU running back Jacob Hester said with a smile. "They've done their work. They've got background checks and everything. I think they know who I am and what I'm about."
WEATHER REPORT: Rain didn't materialize during Tuesday's practices despite a 50 percent chance at precipitation. Rain chance goes down tomorrow with a high temperature predicted in the low 50s.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: With two practices rolling through Ladd-Peebles Stadium Tuesday, there was no shortage of highlights.
California wide receiver Lavelle Hawkins made a nice, diving catch of a Henne pass early on in the North team's practice...
Indiana cornerback Tracy Porter intercepted a Flacco pass during seven-on-seven drills...
South quarterback Erik Ainge saw one of his passes intercepted by Tennessee State cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. The play included a leap along the sidelines by Cromartie, who made several athletic plays in the afternoon practice...
Returning punts for the South team were Leodis McKelvin (Troy) and Kentucky running back Rafael Little.
MORE ON THE 2008 SENIOR BOWL:
- DAY-BY-DAY: Click here for day-by-day coverage from AF.com
- BLOG: J. Mike's Missives
- BLOG: Off the Cuff with Mookie Dunkleman
- BLOG: Flipping Out with Falcon Al
- OFFICIAL WEBSITE: SeniorBowl.com
- NFL.COM: Complete NFL Draft coverage
- TELEVISION: NFL Network Coverage Schedule
- ROSTERS (PDF): North (numerical) | North (alphabetical) | South (numerical) | South (alphabetical)
