Graham, Sharpton Set to Play in 2010 Senior Bowl
Jan. 7, 2010
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – University of Miami tight end Jimmy Graham and linebacker Darryl Sharpton have officially accepted invitations to the 2010 Under Armour Senior Bowl, game officials announced today. Kickoff for the 61st game is scheduled for 4 p.m. (ET) on January 30 in Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The game and all practices will be televised by the NFL Network.
Graham was second on the team in touchdown receptions (5) after playing in all 13 games in his first season with the Hurricanes in 2009. He had 17 catches for 213 yards, which was a 12.5 yards average per catch. He caught a career-high five catches for 73 yards with a career-long 22-yard reception against Duke. His first three collegiate catches were touchdowns against Georgia Tech (14 yards), Oklahoma (18 yards) and Florida A&M (7 yards).”I’m honored to represent the University of Miami at the Senior Bowl,”Graham said. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to play with the best senior talent in the nation. It’s a dream come true for me. I see it as a privilege to play in the best all-star game that college football has to offer.”
Sharpton was a second team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection in 2009. He led the `Canes in unassisted tackles (65) and total tackles (106). He tied for fourth in the ACC with an 8.2 tackle per game average on the year and averaged 12 tackles per game over the last four contests (at UNC, vs. Duke, at USF, vs. Wisconsin). He earned two ACC Defensive Linemen of the Week honors in the final two weeks of the regular season. Sharpton ranked third on the defense with 8.5 tackles for a loss and second in assisted tackles (41) and became first UM defender with 100 tackles since Tavares Gooden tallied 119 in 2007 after recording a career-high 15 tackles against Wisconsin in the Champs Sports Bowl. He was awarded the Jack Harding MVP Award (along with LT Jason Fox) at the team’s annual awards banquet on Dec. 6 and also garnered the Hard Hitter Award at the banquet. He recorded his first career touchdown on a 73-yard interception return for a touchdown against Duke on Senior Day on Nov. 21. He tallied double-digit tackles on five occasions, including a career-high 15 tackles against Wisconsin in the Champs Sports Bowl.
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“I’m very excited just to be able to come play with some of the best players in the nation,” Sharpton said. “I’m looking forward to showing them (scouts) my speed, explosiveness and ability to make plays and it will be a great stage to do so.”
“I’ve watched the Senior Bowl on TV for several years and it was always in the back of my mind to get an invite,” Sharpton continued. “I’m excited to be playing in the game and I look forward to the competition.”
Tickets for the 2010 Under Armour Senior Bowl are currently available for purchase at the Senior Bowl ticket offices (151 Dauphin Street and inside Bel Air Mall), select Regions Bank locations, online at www.seniorbowl.com or by calling (251) 432-4109.
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The Under Armour Senior Bowl is college football’s premier pre-draft event, annually featuring the nation’s best senior collegiate football stars and top NFL draft prospects on teams coached by NFL coaching staffs. Senior Bowl practices and game week festivities are attended by more than 800 general managers, head coaches, assistant coaches, scouts and other front office personnel from all 32 National Football League teams, making Mobile and the Under Armour Senior Bowl the week-long host to a one-of-a-kind NFL Coaches Convention. For more information on the 2009 Under Armour Senior Bowl please visit the bowl’s website at www.seniorbowl.com.
Under Armour® is a leading developer, marketer and distributer of branded performance apparel, footwear and accessories. The brand’s moisture-wicking synthetic fabrications are engineered in many different designs and styles for wear in nearly every climate to provide a performance alternative to traditional natural fiber products. For further information please visit the Company’s website at www.underarmour.com.
The NFL Network is the year-round programming network fully owned and operated by the NFL, offering standard definition, high definition and Video-On-Demand services through your television provider, plus NFL Mobile content via Sprint, online video and editorial content through NFL.com and downloadable video content through iTunes. The NFL Network will air more than 20 hours of programming during Senior Bowl week, including live coverage of practices and recap shows. For more information on the NFL Network please visit www.nfl.com/nflnetwork.
