Reese's Senior Bowl Announces Partnership with NFLPA
NFL Players Association Named Presenting Sponsor of 75th Anniversary Celebration
MOBILE, AL – The Reese’s Senior Bowl, the nation’s most prestigious college football all-star scouting showcase, has reached an agreement with the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) to be the presenting sponsor of the game’s 75th Anniversary celebration. This year’s Reese’s Senior Bowl will kickoff at 12:00 p.m. CT at Hancock Whitney Stadium on Saturday, February 3, 2024, and will be televised live on the NFL Network. Game week festivities for the 75th Anniversary team will include a formal gala event on Friday evening and a halftime ceremony on Saturday afternoon.
The inaugural Senior Bowl was played in Jacksonville, Florida in 1950 and moved to Mobile, Alabama the following year, where it has become an annual tradition for over seven decades. The long, rich history of the Senior Bowl includes 56 players who have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, and many of those all-time greats will be part of this year’s 75th Anniversary Team.
Some of the legendary names on the ballot will include quarterbacks Dan Marino and Brett Favre, running backs LaDainian Tomlinson and Curtis Martin, wide receivers Terrell Owens and Hines Ward, offensive linemen Larry Allen and Steve Hutchinson, defensive ends Michael Strahan and DeMarcus Ware, defensive tackles Aaron Donald and Bryant Young, outside linebackers Von Miller and John Abraham, inside linebackers Derrick Brooks and Brian Urlacher, safeties Brian Dawkins and LeRoy Butler, and cornerbacks Richard Sherman and Aeneas Williams.
The 75th Anniversary Team selection process will include fan participation, as well as input from current NFL executives and the Senior Bowl’s executive committee. The online fan vote will be launched at www.seniorbowl.com on Monday, September 4.
The Senior Bowl named a 50th Anniversary team in 1998 (see below), so rather than duplicate some legends for the 75th edition, eligibility for the diamond anniversary team will honor players who appeared on NFL rosters between 1998-2023.
SENIOR BOWL 50TH ANNIVERSARY TEAM
OFFENSE
QB Joe Namath New York Jets
RB
Walter Payton, Chicago Bear
Bo Jackson, Oakland Raiders
Franco Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers
WR
Lynn Swann, Pittsburgh Steelers
Art Monk, Washington Redskins
Steve Largent, Seattle Seahawks
TE
Ozzie Newsome, Cleveland Browns
OL
Gene Upshaw, Oakland Raiders
Jerry Kramer, Green Bay Packers
Mike Webster, Pittsburgh Steelers
Randall McDaniel, Minnesota Vikings
Tom Banks, St. Louis Cardinals
DEFENSE
DL
Joe Greene, Pittsburgh Steelers
Ed Jones, Dallas Cowboys
Bubba Smith, Baltimore Colts
Jack Youngblood, Los Angeles Rams
LB
Ray Nitschke, Green Bay Packers
Derrick Thomas, Kansas City Chiefs
Ted Hendricks, Oakland Raiders
DB
Dale Carter, Kansas City Chiefs
Albert Lewis, Kansas City Chiefs
Paul Krause, Minnesota Vikings
Roger Wehrli, St. Louis Cardinals
PK
Morten Andersen, New Orleans Saints
In addition to being the presenting sponsor of the 75th Anniversary Team, this partnership connects the NFLPA with future union membership on the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl roster via week-long activations at the team hotel and also offers opportunities for former players to be part of the game’s football operations staff.
Statement from Reese’s Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy
“We are excited about this partnership because it allows us to properly celebrate some of the Senior Bowl’s all-time greats. So many legendary players began their NFL journeys in Mobile and getting the NFLPA behind the 75th Anniversary allows us to bring them all back to where it started. Game week is going to be special this year.”
Statement from NFLPA Chief Operating Officer Teri Smith
“To be the presenting sponsor of the 75th Senior Bowl is a tremendous opportunity. Our union is looking forward to honoring the many great player members who have been a part of this game’s rich history while also continuing our commitment to engage with some of our brightest future members.”
About the Senior Bowl
The Reese’s Senior Bowl is widely regarded as the preeminent college football all-star game and the first stage in the NFL Draft process. The longest continual-running all-star game has taken place in Mobile the past 74 years. More than 900 NFL personnel, including key decision-makers from all 32 teams, and over 1,100 media members from around the country were credentialed last year. In each of the past three years, the Reese’s Senior Bowl has had 100 or more players drafted and over 40 percent of the entire draft class, which are both record-setting figures for any all-star game.
About the NFLPA
The National Football League Players Association is the union for professional football players in the National Football League. Established in 1956, the NFLPA has a long history of assuring proper recognition and representation of players’ interests. The NFLPA has shown that it will do whatever is necessary to assure that the rights of players are protected—including ceasing to be a union, if necessary, as it did in 1989. In 1993, the NFLPA again was officially recognized as the union representing the players and negotiated a landmark Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NFL. The current CBA will govern the sport through the 2030 NFL season. Learn more at www.nflpa.com.
For More Information:
Molly Middleton
Senior Bowl Media Relations Coordinator
mmiddleton@seniorbowl.com
Brandon Parker
NFLPA Senior Communications Manager
Brandon.Parker@nflpa.com
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