Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Brandon Jacobs Prepares For East-West Game
01/13/2005 | 12:00:00 | Football
Jan. 13, 2005
By Scott Mees
www.SIUSalukis.com
Southern Illinois University running back Brandon Jacobs is set to face the best competition in the country on Saturday at the 80th Annual East-West Shrine Game at SBC Park in San Francisco.
Jacobs will compete with and against many of the nation's top players including: Hawaii's Timmy Chang (QB), Colorado's Bobby Purify (RB), Notre Dame's Ryan Grant (RB) and Purdue's Kyle Orton (QB).
Joe Tiller, head coach at Purdue, will be in charge of the East team, while Jacobs' West squad will be coached by Oregon State's Mike Riley.
The game begins at 1 p.m. (central time) on Saturday, and it will be televised on ESPN.
All eyes will be focused on the superior talent in the game, and many NFL teams will be sizing up their draft evaluations based on what they see at the East/West game. The event has also raised money toward Shriner's Hospitals for Children.
The game will not be Jacobs' only opportunity to impress scouts, since he will also attend the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis from Feb. 20-25.
The 6-foot-4, 260-pound tailback racked up gaudy numbers during his brief stay at SIU. Jacobs rushed for 992 yards on only 150 carries last season. That translates to a whopping 6.6-yards-per-carry average, and he also scored 19 touchdowns in just 12 games.
Since the Salukis' football season ended in late November, the running back has been pushing himself to stay in peak physical condition.
"I've been working hard," Jacobs said. "I've been doing a lot of speed work, running and lifting."
Numerous NFL teams scouted Jacobs at SIU football games and practices this past season, however, where he will go is anyone's guess.
"You can have an idea, but you really don't know who might pick you until April," Jacobs said.
The East/West game determines how well the best football players can compete against other great football talent. It is crucial to perform well at the contest to increase your value for the NFL Draft in April.
"I've been doing pretty well in practice," Jacobs said. "There's a good chance of what type of draft spot you'll get based on how you perform."
Jacobs has fielded questions about his decision to transfer to SIU among other things.
"The competition is really tough," Jacobs said. "People have been asking me why I went to a I-AA school."
The answer to that question is simple; Jacobs did not want to sit out for an entire year just get to transfer to another Division I-A school. So, he took the best route and ended up with one of the elite teams in I-AA. Auburn, which finished undefeated, had two of the best running backs in the nation, and Jacobs wouldn't have gotten as much playing time.
It must have been a little strange, for Jacobs, watching Auburn run the table - and arguably tie for a national title - after the Salukis' season ended.
"I know those guys," Jacobs said. "I knew they'd do well."
Jacobs is learning the business side of football, also. He is represented by Athletes First, started by David Dunn, an agency that specializes in representing professional athletes.
The game will also feature Illinois State's Boomer Grigsby (LB) as well as Illinois offensive linemen Bucky Babcock and Duke Preston.
For more detailed information on the game, please visit the official website at http://www.shrinegame.com.
