Alabama Football: Update on Tide players in the Senior Bowl

Alabama football players, Brad Bozeman, Da’Shawn Hand, J.K. Scott and Levi Wallace are working hard to impress NFL teams during Senior Bowl week.

One of the players getting the most media attention in Mobile, AL is Alabama football cornerback, Levi Wallace. Wallace is drawing the attention for three reasons. First, he had to walk-on at Alabama after getting zero FBS offers coming out of high school. Second, in the 2017 season, Wallace was one of the top corners in the SEC and ranked high in national pass coverage stats. Third, he weighed in at only 176 pounds.

Like most Senior Bowl players, Wallace has something to prove. His main challenge this week is explaining he had the flu during the Tide’s Playoff run and lost weight. He is on a 4000 calorie per day diet to gain it back and add more. On his six-foot frame, 176 pounds is too light to battle most NFL receivers. Wallace wants to get his weight to 185 pounds before the Alabama football Pro Day in Tuscaloosa.

A long way from Arizona to Alabama for a walk-on.

Wallace has grown accustomed to being second-guessed. His father, Walter Wallace, who grew up in Tuscaloosa persuaded him to walk-on at Alabama. Once in Tuscaloosa, another student’s mother looked at him and said, “You’re a little too skinny to be playing SEC football.” Reportedly the Crimson Tide was rather generous when it first listed him at 170 pounds.

Wallace added some size and considerable skill as he slowly worked himself into a starting role for the Tide. He has proven everyone wrong so far. Hopefully, he will beat the NFL odds as well.

Latest News on Brad Bozeman

Bozeman is still being kidded about his post-game sideline proposal to his now fiancee. Brad does not quite match the NFL profile for centers. He is taller than preferred. At the weigh-in earlier in the week, Bozeman was announced as a guard. His body size more closely matches the NFL profile for that position. Like Levi Wallace, it took Brad time and much hard work to earn a spot as a Tide regular.

Latest News on Da’Shawn hand  and J.K. Scott

NFL teams are already well aware of Scott’s punting ability that generates long and high kicks. What Scott says he is trying to improve is getting his punts off quicker.

"Scott said he has been focusing on punting the ball quicker from catch to kick. The target time is 1.3 seconds."

Somewhat ironically, as Scott has continued his role as a holder at the Senior Bowl, he is working with two Auburn players. Long snapper, Ike Powell and placekicker, Daniel Carlson are Scott’s teammates this week.

Da’Shawn Hand has two important goals this week. He needs to impress NFL scouts with pass-rushing skills that were not consistently evident throughout his college career. In conversations with teams, Hand must also assure teams he has learned from his DUI mistake and will not get into future trouble.

Hand says the conversations are going well.

"You’re just having a conversation. The only thing is you just don’t lie. How hard is that?"

Hand has already met with several teams including the Baltimore Ravens. Former Crimson Tide football star and Ravens General Manager, Ozzie Newsome is willing to take a chance on former Alabama football players who have made mistakes. He did so in the last draft with Tim Williams.

Next: College football's 'Most Dominant Decade' team

The Reese’s Senior Bowl kicks off at 1:30 PM, CST, Saturday, January 27th. The game will be broadcast on the NFL Network.