| Bethel running back Smith will show off talents in football All-Star game | | | 
All-star — Bethel College senior running back Adrain Smith (center) will try to impress NFL scouts when he plays in the second Texas vs. The Nation Collegiate All-Star Bowl Saturday in El Paso, Texas. | | Bethel College running back Adrain Smith has been selected to play in the second annual Texas vs. The Nation Collegiate All-Star Bowl. The game will be held in El Paso, Texas on Saturday with kickoff at 4 p.m. The game will be televised on CSTV.
Smith is officially on the Texas roster that will be coached by Gene Stallings. Stallings coached professional football for a total of 18 years, but he is probably best remembered as the head coach of Alabama that won the national championship in 1992. Stallings will be opposed by former professional coach Buddy Ryan. Some notables joining Smith on the Texas roster are quarterback Matt Flynn from LSU and three Tennessee Vols — fullback/halfback Chris Brown, defensive lineman Antonio Reynolds, and defensive end Xavier Mitchell.
Smith will see a familiar face on the opposition’s team as running back Allen Ervin from Lambuth is on The Nation squad. Another West Tennessee invitee on The Nation team is wide receiver Edward Williams of Lane College.
“It’s a great opportunity for Adrain to showcase his talents on the national level,” said Bethel College offensive coordinator Shaun Gaines. “I have no doubt that Adrain will represent himself and Bethel College in a positive manner. He has worked hard and I am happy to see him get this chance.”
The game is a showcase for players to display their abilities to NFL, CFL and AFL scouts. Out of the 107-man roster for the inaugural Texas vs. the Nation all-star collegiate bowl last season, 78 players got a chance to test their abilities in the NFL. As of May 7, 2007, 72 percent of the roster had officially signed contracts with NFL teams.
Time and areas are set aside so that players can interview with the scouts and vice versa. The scouts are given player’s room numbers so that they may leave messages or personally contact them. All of the NFL and most CFL and Arena teams will be sending scouts to the Bowl Game. The main reason scouts are attending the game is to have questionnaires filled out, watch the combine and have an opportunity to talk with players in a relaxed setting.
Smith is Bethel’s all-time leading rusher. He helped the Wildcats make back-to-back NAIA playoff appearances, the only two in school history. The Wildcats finished 2007 as Mid-South Conference West Division Champions and finished with a ranking of No. 5 in the nation. | | | | |
