Mobile, Ala. (WGNO) — The 68th Annual Reese’s Senior Bowl kicks-off Saturday in Mobile, Alabama, with teams putting their finishing touches on practice Thursday. LSU and Alabama lead the SEC with 4 players each selected to the South team, but Tigers cornerback Tre’Davious White will not be seeing any action in the game. On Thursday he was ruled-out from playing with a right ankle sprain. White, who was a finalist for the Thorpe Award this past season, suffered the ankle injury in Wednesday’s practice.
Before White was ruled out for the game, he spoke to the media about getting this opportunity.
“I just want to leave no question marks,” White said. “I’m just out here to compete. Coming from LSU, that’s all we do. I’m just ready to compete.”
For the players selected to the Senior Bowl, this game is about getting to represent their college team one last time, in hopes of catching the eye of some scouts, and making it to the next level.
“I’m just out here trying to be myself,” said LSU linebacker Duke Riley, “and show guys that I can compete at a high level with some of the best around.”
“Just getting a chance to meet with all the guys who are here playing the game and getting to meet with different scouts,” said LSU wide receiver Travin Dural. “It’s been a great process so far. I’m loving it. I’m enjoying every moment and just trying to take advantage of everything.”
The SEC is the most heavily represented conference, with 24 players between the North and South teams, with LSU and their fellow conference opponents having a proven track record of sending players to the NFL.
“We put some of the best players in the league,” White said. “We have a reputation. We have a standard so when we get to the NFL, they expect us to be above. I just want to do that and just come out here and compete and perform well.”
“I’ve heard a bunch of good things about LSU guys,” Dural said. “And being that I’m from LSU, it feels good to know that people think highly of us. I’m just trying to keep that tradition going.”
Joining those 4 Tigers on the South team is Tanzel Smart, the lone Tulane representative and one of seven American Athletic Conference players in this year’s game.
“I feel like it’s a big opportunity for me to represent Tulane,” Smart said. “We had a couple guys in the past come here and they did really good. I’ve just got to keep the tradition going. Tulane, that was my biggest offer and it was a blessing that I got to go somewhere like Tulane. Now I think the college thing is out the window. Everybody’s great here and we came here to compete.”
The Senior Bowl kicks-off Saturday at 1:30 p.m. (CT) at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.