Before being drafted last spring as part of Scot McCloughan's first Redskins draft class, Jamison Crowder and Arie Kouandjio participated in the Senior Bowl.
Invited to the 2015 Senior Bowl against some of the top talent in the draft that year, Jamison Crowder believed the week of practices and the game itself helped show what his potential is.
Of course, Crowder, who recorded a catch and two punt returns for the North Team, would go on to be selected by the Washington Redskins a little more than three months later.
"I think that the Senior Bowl really helped boost my stock as a receiver," Crowder told Redskins.com. "Went down there, had some really good days in practice, and did OK in the game, but the Senior Bowl really helped me out. Going against pretty much the top competition that was coming out in last year's draft. So going down there, just making the plays, really helped me out, really helped boost my stock."
The Senior Bowl is the first opportunity for the top college senior talent across the country to showcase their talents in front of scouts and personnel from all 32 NFL teams.
With three practices during the week along with media interviews and sit-downs with coaches and general managers, it also gives a taste of what the annual NFL Combine is like.
"That was a long week, kind of stressful, just going out on the field and practicing, that was probably the fun part," Crowder said. "Other than that, it was meeting with coaches and GMs and stuff like that, and they ask you a whole bunch of questions and you have to go to meetings and learn the plays with whatever team you're playing for. But I mean it was fun. I think the experience really helped me out, really helped me get the exposure that I needed to show the guys in the NFL that I was really good player. But overall it was a great experience, a fun experience and I was blessed to have the opportunities to go down there."
Crowder wasn't the only future Redskins player to participate in last year's Senior Bowl, as he joined second-round pick Preston Smith and fourth-round pick Arie Kouandjio.
Kouandjio had gone against some of the best talent in college football during his four-year career at the University of Alabama, but the Senior Bowl matched him up against the most seasoned players in the country day after day.
"It was my first time playing against the concentration of like experience and a higher level, with them being seniors and them being invited to the game," Kouandjio said. "It was a good little intermediate stop for me getting here."
For getting a late invite, Kouandjio was glad he accepted.
"I didn't know I was going to be in it until like the last moment," Kouandjio said. "It was a good moment, it was a good time, we got to play a bunch of guys all over the country and it was a good experience. I feel like I did pretty well and it helped me get here."
*The 2016 Senior Bowl will kick off tomorrow with the start of practices for both teams. Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan is scheduled to speak at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday. *
*Redskins.com will be at the 2016 Senior Bowl providing daily coverage of the week's events. Be sure to check back here for more coverage, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook, as well as on Snapchat at RedskinsSnap. *
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