Football: Former Wildcats to compete in pre-NFL Draft events

Kevin Casey, Sports Editor


Gameday


A pair of ex-Northwestern players will be participating in events hoping to showcase their NFL talent.

The NFL Players Association announced on Sunday that former Wildcats wide receiver Tony Jones would be playing in the 2015 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, and ex-Cats safety Ibraheim Campbell was selected the following day to participate in the 2015 Senior Bowl.

Jones, a 6’0″ 195-pound speedster at NU, finished his college career with 130 receptions, 1,445 yards and 10 touchdowns, but struggled his senior season with injuries. Campbell was a four-year starting safety for the Cats, garnering second-team All-Big Ten honors for his senior season.

Jones will join other draft-eligible seniors for the contest, which is scheduled to take place at 3 p.m. CT on Saturday, Jan. 17 at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

The Bowl practices, on Wednesday, Jan. 14 and Thursday, Jan. 15, and game are a chance for Jones to display his skills to several scouts — with more than 140 showing up for last year’s theatrics.

The receiver will need all of the attention he can get, with most draft sites projecting him to go undrafted in the spring.

Campbell’s outlook is rosier. The Senior Bowl is the premier event for senior college football prospects, with the experience including a full week of practices and a game that takes place at 3 p.m. CT, as well as plenty of coaching from NFL personnel.

The safety is projected by multiple outlets as a fourth- or fifth-round prospect, with one citing him as the fifth-best strong safety from this class.

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Correction: A previous headline on this story mischaracterized the events Tony Jones and Ibraheim Campbell will participate in. The events showcase college players before the NFL Draft. The Daily regrets the error.