Mobile, Ala – The week of the annual Reese’s Senior Bowl has arrived, and practice is opening today for the annual college football all-star game that has been a showcase for over 70 years.
Coaches, executives and scouts from all 32 NFL teams will be on hand for the week leading up to Saturday’s game inside Hancock Whitney Stadium, home of the University of South Alabama football program.
This year, FootballScoop is giving readers an exclusive daily insider’s perspective of the week-long event.
The coaching staff for the two teams, the American and National, is made up of employees from all over the NFL.
Brian Bratton, an assistant offensive coach with the Indianapolis Colts who was selected to coach wide receivers this year for the All-American team, has agreed to provide a daily diary that brings first-person insight inside the sport’s longest-running and most iconic event.
Bratton, a former Furman University standout who has clocked in both the NFL and Canadian Football League, reached for mobile last Saturday, immediately initiated in-person meetings with American staff and spun out events for FootballScoop that led to the day’s practice. First:
Colts assistant Brian Bratton brings a daily diary from inside the Senior Bowl to FootballScoop readers. (Footballscope drawing courtesy of Matt Freeman)
This is definitely an honor, and I want to start by saying I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be here, play a role in this game and represent the Indianapolis Colts organization.
This is a great opportunity to learn, grow, enhance my experience and help take steps in the direction I want to go in this league while also getting the chance to help others try to achieve their dreams.
It was a really good start to the process. I think the coolest part about it so far is that you’re working on a team with people who’ve never trained together before we’re all from different staff but now we’re working together in a short amount of time to put together a product that will hopefully give these guys a chance to showcase their skills And giving a chance to win a bowl game.
We’ve been having phone calls, texts, and Zoom meetings together as staff since last week, at least an hour each, before we got here in person to get ready for the game.
That’s one side of it.
The other side, I think, is to get down here, settle down and wrap my head around how in a few days I can help these recipients showcase their talent and train them to improve themselves, whether that’s with their skill set or how they’re seen from a player’s point of view or getting Get the opportunity to evaluate and interact with the personnel departments of the entire league.
It’s been meeting up to now with the staff and coming up with an offensive game plan and then a training plan for the offense, from everything to the installation to the things we want to do and how we can make it as smooth as possible for those players. That they can have the best experience.
We want it to be like we’ve been together as employees for a year so when we put this together it’s the best it can be for everyone. We all came to Mobile having not worked together but have taken it upon ourselves to know this offense and be able to teach it here this week so we can be on the same page as our players.
Our head coach is Luke Getsy (Chicago Bears offensive coordinator) and our offensive coordinator is Charles London (Atlanta Falcons QB coach), and we’re working really hard trying to put our offense together. The amount of pride people have in their jobs this week to try and give players a chance to succeed is truly amazing.
It was really cool because we went out to dinner here and we talk about the different concepts from our passing game, and as a crew we actually call them and talk about them in that language of this game plan.
I haven’t had a chance to play in any all-star games after my college career, which is one of the reasons I’m excited to be here this week representing the Colts. You just had a professional day. that is all what I have. So if there’s one thing I really want to get across to my players, it’s just to take advantage of this opportunity. They’re getting an All-Star game, a pro day, a lot of the guys here are getting an NFL Combine opportunity, and so they have a chance to improve and learn from each of those experiences.
I only had one day, and all it took was one team. But I tell them, make this opportunity count. You are rated on everything. This is an opportunity to be around people all week who can help you fulfill your childhood dream of playing in the NFL. Every bit of this can help.
We have eight models on our roster, and I reached out to every single one of them before we came here. I wanted them to know that I’m excited to work with them, excited to help them on their journey and it’s a great opportunity because I’m kind of going to be a chapter in their book.
I hope I can teach them something, and just as importantly, this week I am also looking forward to how I can learn and become a better trainer and a better professional in all aspects. I hope this week helps create relationships that will last a lifetime.
As we get ready here for our first practice, I just want to see the guys come out and play hard. I want them to go after it as people watch it, because people watch it. I want to have the energy for them and be able to ask them and help them realize their potential and I want them to play like it’s a great opportunity.
I want everyone to pick something they want to improve, and by the end of the week let’s re-evaluate that and see if it’s improved. Let’s see some of the fruits of our efforts here this week, go win the game and showcase some abilities that can help them live their dream of playing in the NFL.