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Sports TwitterSmith off to good start at Senior Bowl
The Ohio State quarterback proves to NFL scouts he is 6-foot and that his arm is strong.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
MOBILE, Ala. — Practice week for this year's Senior Bowl, which will be played Saturday, got under way Monday.
One hundred of the nation's top senior NFL draft prospects, including Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith, the Heisman Trophy winner, and three other Buckeye players, traveled to Mobile, Ala., to take part in this pre-draft event.
Extras
The Senior Bowl is the final game for this talented group of prospects in preparation for the April 28-29 draft.
Tales of the tape
All the question marks surrounding the height of Smith were answered Monday during the National Scouting Weigh-In. Smith measured in at 6-foot and 222 pounds. That is after being listed at 6-1 and 215 pounds in the school's media guide.
Well, he's not 6-1, but he's not 5-10, either ... as many of his critics believed he would be.
Senior snapshots
• Ohio State defensive tackle David Patterson may not have had the best body in his skivvies during weigh-ins, but was at his best on the field. One word to best describe Patterson's physique, Sloppy! Without the Joe.
• Washington State wide receiver Jason Hill looked like Jerry Rice out on the field making play after play. He and Smith seem to have good chemistry, hooking up on a number of passes.
Big C, the analyst
Smith had a strong showing on the first day of practice and has begun to silence some of his critics. He was on the money with his passes, hitting his receivers in stride, and threw the ball with nice touch and pinpoint accuracy.
The scouts were well aware of Smith's big arm before coming to Mobile, but the big arm was more like a bazooka after hearing the ball thump on the receiver's chest when making a catch.
After practice, Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden, who is coaching the North squad, talked about how impressive Smith was during his first day of work.
"Troy's arm strength was impressive, and he's learned the playbook quickly," Gruden said. "It's going to be a pleasure to work with him this week."
