MOUNT PLEASANT – College football players poured into the Charleston Harbor and Marina Resort on Sunday afternoon, but they were not greeted like winter tourists seeking the Lowcountry sun.

As they checked in for the start of Medal of Honor Bowl week, culminating with Saturday’s game at Johnson Hagood Stadium, the draft-eligible all-stars were put straight to work by NFL scouts. They had their hands measured, were subject to interviews and even took the famed Wonderlic, the aptitude test widely used by the NFL to measure the intelligence of prospective players.

On Monday morning, the players will be measured and weighed before participating in the first practice of the week.

It’s all part of a week that for many of the players will mark the beginning of their transition from college student to professional, whether they end up in the NFL or not.

“This is a really important week for me and for all of us,” said Kenny Cook, an FCS All-American receiver from Gardner-Webb. “I’m excited to go against players from different levels, with all the scouts watching you. This is the first step of trying to go to the next level.”

With more than 40 players from the ACC and SEC on Medal of Honor Bowl rosters, there is plenty of opportunity for small-school players such as Cook.

“That’s really my main thing, just to show I can play at this level and that I belong,” said Cook, a 6-4 senior who caught 64 passes for 758 yards and five touchdowns this season. “I’m not really trying to prove anything, though. I’ll just do what I always do.”

Virginia running back Kevin Parks played college ball at a high level, rushing for 745 yards for the Cavaliers this season. But he knows that means little this week.

“I feel like I’ve got to be focused all week,” said Parks, a 5-8, 200-pound senior. “This is the start of everything, and you want to get started on the right track and impress everybody. I’ve already had some NFL guys call a couple of my friends to ask about me. I just say, answer everything truthfully and things should be good.”

The talent on the Medal of Honor Bowl rosters was enough to draw Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson, among many other scouts and NFL personnel staffers.

“We find all-star games to be very beneficial, and it looks like they’ve got a strong roster here,” Thompson said Sunday. “They’ve got guys from all over the country and they are anxious to interview and get things started.

“It helps us tremendously, because a lot of times we have not gotten enough looks at certain kids. This week, we can get those looks.”

Most of those looks will come during the week of practices at The Citadel, where the players know they will be under the microscope.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to showcase our talents against some of the best players in America,” said Marshall offensive lineman Chris Jasperse, a 6-5, 294-pound senior. “It’s so important, especially for a guy like me. In Conference USA, we don’t always get a chance to play against the best guys. This is a good chance to go against those guys and show them what I’ve got.”

Notes

The Medal of Honor Bowl lost lineman Max Garcia of Florida and safety Ibraheim Campbell of Northwestern to the Senior Bowl, said deputy director of player personnel Austin Atkinson. Georgia Tech lineman Shaq Mason has also pulled out, Atkinson said. The Medal of Honor Bowl added Kansas safety Cassius Sendish, an honorable mention All-Big 12 pick this season.

Events for fans to attend this week include the Heroes Luncheon for The Wounded Warriors of S.C. on Tuesday and the Gridiron Greats Panel Discussion on Thursday at Seacoast Church in Mount Pleasant. Ticket information for both events is at www.mohbowl.com.

Medal of Honor Bowl chairman Tommy McQueeney said a solid turnout for Saturday’s game is vital for the event’s first year on TV. The game will be shown on NBC Sports Network. Fans have a chance to win a Mercedes Benz at the game, and a donation of $20 will earn fans a chance at a Super Bowl VIP package. See www.mohbowl.com for details.

Daniel Rodriguez of Clemson University and Nate Boyer from the University of Texas have confirmed they will participate in the game that will be played on January 10, 2015 at The Citadel’s Johnson Hagood Stadium.

Rodriguez is a wide receiver from Stafford, Va., and a decorated war hero who served approximately 18 months in Iraq and one year in Afghanistan. He served in the Army from 2006-10, and achieved the rank of Sergeant. He was involved in the Battle of Kamdesh in Afghanistan on Oct. 3, 2009, when 300 Taliban insurgents battled with 38 U.S. troops. Eight Americans lost their lives and 22 were injured, including Rodriguez, in one of the most violent battles in the war. For his heroics, Rodriguez earned a Purple Heart and the Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device.

Boyer, from Dublin, Calif., served in the Green Berets Special Forces unit before coming to Longhorns and continues to serve in the Texas National Guard during the summers. He was named to the 2014 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, which recognizes players whose charitable involvement and community service contributions stand out among all other student-athletes. A 2013 CoSIDA Academic All-American and a nominee in 2014, Boyer is a three-time first-team Academic All-Big 12 choice (2012-14) and a two-time semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy (2013-14). Named the 2012-13 Big 12 Sportsperson of the Year, Boyer, in 2012, became the first-ever recipient of the Armed Forces Merit Award that was presented by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA). He was also selected as the recipient of the 2012 Disney Spirit Award, given annually by Disney Sports to college football’s most inspirational figure. Boyer, who participated in relief work in the Darfur region of Africa prior to his time in the military, is a nine-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

The Medal of Honor Bowl, which will be televised live nationally by the NBC Sports Network, is a premier all-star game the features the nation’s top draft-eligible college football players as projected for the NFL Draft. The game honors the Medal of Honor recipients and the game’s beneficiaries, the Medal of Honor Museum Foundation, disabled veterans and wounded warriors.

Tickets, which range from $15-$40, may be secured at the Medal of Honor Bowl Game’s dedicated website www.MOHbowl.com/tickets. They will also be available at The Citadel Athletic Ticket Office at 843/953-DOGS (3647).

For more information, please refer to Twitter: @MOHbowl and Facebook.com/MOHbowl

Some of the names include TCU quarterback Casey Pachall, one of the top quarterbacks for the 2014 NFL Draft, and Raijon Neal a 1,000-yard rusher from the University of Tennessee. Pachall headlines an impressive list of quarterbacks that include Ohio University’s Tyler Tettleton, a Davey O’ Brien Award candidate and former Maryland and Wisconsin signal caller Danny O’Brien. O’Brien was named ACC Freshman of the Year before finishing his collegiate career at Division II Catawba. Neal rushed for 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns in his senior campaign for the Vols.

“This is just the start of what is shaping up to be an outstanding class of future NFL talent coming to Charleston for the Inaugural Medal of Honor Bowl,” said Executive Director Brian Woods.

According to Woods, there will be a total of 92 players participating in the game and they will be divided equally into 46 per team.

Former Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys head coach Chan Gailey will serve as head coach for the National Team while Ralph Friedgen, former assistant coach for the San Diego Chargers, will lead the American Team. The premier all-star event expects to have around 200 NFL scouts, coaches and general managers in attendance when practices begin on January 6.

The all-star lineup also includes some the nation’s top small school prospects like defensive backs Malcolm Butler of West Alabama and L.J. McCray of Catwaba along with D.J. Adams, a running back from Portland State. Both McCray and Butler were on the Senior Bowl Watch List this year and Adams, a former Maryland Terrapin, was one of the top rushers in all divisions finishing his 2013 campaign with more than 1,600 yards.

Two of the most intriguing prospects could come from the wide receiver group as Nathan Slaughter from West Texas A&M and Gerald Ford from Valdosta State highlight the list. The speedy Slaughter has returned three kickoffs for touchdowns in 2013. Ford was a Harlan Hill Trophy finalist in 2012 before an academic issue kept him off the field in 2013.

Another impressive unit is the linebackers corps, which counts Iowa State’s Jeremiah George, Colorado State’s Shaquille Barrett and Xavius Boyd from Western Kentucky among its commitments. George finished the season sixth in the nation in total tackles with 133. Boyd was the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week on three separate occasions this year and led the conference in tackles for loss. Johnny Millard, a talented linebacker from Cal-Poly and the son of former NFL player Keith Millard, has also accepted an invite to play in the Inaugural Medal of Honor Bowl.

Highlighting the defensive backfield is Travis Carrie from Ohio University and Albany State’s Dexter Moody. Carrie, a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award (for the nation’s best defensive back) in 2012, returned two interceptions for touchdowns in his 2013 regular season finale. Moody enjoyed a stellar senior year to follow his 2012 campaign, which saw the safety finish third in the nation for all divisions with seven interceptions.

Also accepting an invitation was Wake Forest defensive lineman Nikita Whitlock. Whitlock, who is projected as a fullback in the NFL, will line up on the offensive side of the ball.

Local commitments include The Citadel cornerback Brandon McCladdie and Newberry wide receiver and former North Charleston High School product Corey Washington, Jr.

The Medal of Honor Bowl is scheduled for 2 pm on Saturday, January 11 at The Citadel’s Johnson Hagood Stadium in Charleston, SC. Tickets may be secured at the Medal of Honor Bowl Game’s dedicated website www. MOHbowl.com. They will also be available at www.Etix.com and charge by phone at 800/514-ETIX (3849).

For more information, please refer to www.mohbowl.com, Twitter: @MOHbowl and Facebook.com/MOHbowl

Medal of Honor Bowl Player Commitments (55 as of 12/9/13)

20 Patriots Point Road
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
Phone: 843-856-0028
Charleston Harbor Resort

Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina is a boutique resort located right on the banks of the Charleston Harbor at Patriots Point and were recently named one of the Top 20 Resort by Conde Nast Readers Choice. Through December 19, the resort is offering a $119.00 rate for guests staying in conjunction with the Medal of Honor Bowl. In order to take advantage of this rate, guests may call 843-856-0028 or toll free at 888-856-0028 and identify themselves with the Medal of Honor Bowl.