Harding’s Ty Powell Added to Senior Bowl Roster

Courtesy Harding University Athletics Department

SEARCY – Harding University senior Ty Powell was invited to play in the Senior Bowl on Sunday and was added to the North Team roster by late Monday afternoon.

The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football all-star game played in Mobile, Ala. It showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of collegiate players who have exhausted their eligibility.

The game will be played Saturday, Jan. 26 at 3 p.m. at Ladd-Peebles Stadium and will air live on the NFL Network.

According to the Senior Bowl’s official website, over 800 NFL general managers, head coaches, assistant coaches, personnel directors, scouts and other front office personnel from the 32 NFL teams annually attend Senior Bowl Week in Mobile.

Powell, a native of Marina, Calif., and a 2nd Team All-America selection by d2football.com, played defensive end for Harding but would likely move to outside linebacker in the NFL.

In 2012, Powell had 40 tackles and led Harding with 15.0 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. He also blocked four kicks and was named 1st Team All-Great American Conference.

Powell is listed by NFL scouts at 6-foot-3, 250 pounds with a 4.62 40-yard dash time. He has been working out at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. According to IMG’s website, Powell is enrolled in an athletic and personal development program that “provides a fully customizable plan that consists of the world’s most advanced and effective training methods.”

In December, Sports Illustrated’s Tony Pauline said on his Twitter account that area scouts that have evaluated Powell “stamped” him as a top-90 pick in the NFL Draft.

Powell is one of only three NCAA Division II players who will participate in the Senior Bowl. He is joined on the North Roster by Missouri Southern defensive end Brandon Williams. Chadron State’s Garrett Gilkey is an offensive lineman on the South Team roster.

Powell and the North defense will face a formidable trio of South quarterbacks—Oklahoma’s Landry Jones, Florida State’s E.J. Manuel, and Arkansas’ Tyler Wilson.