Spiders' Slinger Steps Up at Senior Bowl

The Senior Bowl is more for NFL draftniks than fans in general.

It does, however, offer a football fix in that ridiculous extra weekend between the sport itself and the spectacle that is the Super Bowl.

Come to think of it, this is also the next-to-last football game -- and really, who watches the Pro Bowl? -- where you can leave during the commercial breaks to do human things without feeling guilty.

 

What is kinda cool about the Senior Bowl is the unveiling of less-than-familiar names to the sporting public. Especially those coming outta the NCAA's lower divisions.

Annually, a good number of them appear who's clearly elite at any level. For example, take slingers like these:

• Ben Rothlisberger ... Miami of Ohio,
• Carson Wentz ... North Dakota State,
• Tony Romo ... Eastern Illinois, and yet another Panther,
• Jimmy Garoppolo ... Eastern Illinois.

Think of them as the NFL's version of zinc oxide.

 

Two more QBs who could appear of future lists of NFL standouts put their wares on national display this season.

Clearly, Richmond Spider and Colonial Athletic Association Offensive Player of the Year Kyle Lauletta was the breakout star in Mobile this weekend:

 

Another was Western Kentucky's Mike White, who transferred there from South Florida.

 

In fact, a number of smaller-school players improved their draft stock, which is the purpose of this game.

That's a good thing, because the South's 45-16 wipeout was not compelling viewing on the score alone.

 

And of course, face time is huge.

 

The immediate goal for most of these players was receiving an invitation to the combine.

There's no doubt Lauletta will get one, if he didn't have it already.