The Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears coaching staffs have been selected to serve as the coaches for the 2017 Reese's Senior Bowl.
"The Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears represent two of the NFL's flagship franchises when it comes to tradition and history," said Senior Bowl Executive Director Phil Savage. "We are proud to have them lead this year's North and South teams."
The Senior Bowl, annually held in Mobile, Ala., gathers two 55-man rosters of draft prospects for a week, culminating with the all-star game at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Representatives from all 32 teams send scouts, coaches and personnel executives to the event for interviews with players, on-field evaluations, physical measurements and more. This year's game will be played Saturday, Jan. 28, at 2:30 p.m. ET and broadcast exclusively on NFL Network.
Most of the roster spots have been filled. Among the most notable players to accept invitations to this year's game are Heisman Trophy finalist Dede Westbrook of Oklahoma, Florida LB Jarrad Davis and Iowa CB Desmond King. The Browns hold the No. 1 pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, and will coach the South team. The Bears have the No. 3 pick and will coach the North squad.
"I'm excited about coaching the Senior Bowl," said Browns coach Hue Jackson. "They really do an outstanding job of getting great players to participate in the game. Obviously, this can be really beneficial to our organization by spending a week coaching some of the best players in college football while we are preparing for the draft. I always say coaching is all about teaching and putting players in the best environment to succeed. I really look at this as an opportunity to help these young men be at their best during a week in which they get to showcase their talents to the entire National Football League."
"We're excited for this opportunity to get a hands-on look at some of the top draft-eligible players in the nation," said Bears coach John Fox. "The Senior Bowl experience will provide our coaches and personnel staff an extended chance to evaluate these players in a one-on-one setting which could prove to be very valuable as we approach the NFL Draft. It's a great opportunity to spend some extra time with these guys and see how they respond to our staff."
Last year's Senior Bowl featured four eventual first-round draft choices: QB Carson Wentz, OL Joshua Garnett, DL Sheldon Rankins and DL Vernon Butler.
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