FAIRHOPE, Ala. -- Surrounded by a new group of reporters, Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan answered the same, old question.
"System quarterback?"
Brennan answered without hesitation Monday as he's in a better position to let his actions on the football field do the talking.
"I've had question marks about me my whole career," he said moments after wrapping up his first Senior Bowl practice with the South All-Stars. "A game like this can do a lot for me. It can really showcase the type of quarterback I really am. I'm running a different system now and people can see me for the type quarterback I really am."
As a junior, Brennan set the NCAA record for most passing touchdowns in a season (58). Of course, he played in a pass-happy offense that has a history of producing prolific passers and receivers with mixed success in the NFL.
Brennan's athleticism, coupled with a season at the University of Colorado, have him in a different category. But a poor outing in the Sugar Bowl against Georgia (22-of-38 passing for 169 yards and no scores), created a speed bump in his path to the pros. Brennan sees this week as a chance to prove something to all of his critics.
"This is a chance for me to really raise my stock," he said. "If I can have success in practice and on game day then, hopefully, coaches will take notice."
Brennan looked sharp Monday along with fellow South team quarterbacks Erik Ainge (Tennessee) and Andre Woodson (Kentucky). He and the rest of the team worked quickly to pick up a version of the San Francisco 49ers offense. His 14,193 career passing yards and 131 career scoring tosses -- for the moment -- mean little.
Still the quarterback, who grew up in Southern California, welcomed the change as "returning to his roots."
"I have three big tests -- this, the (Scouting) Combine and my pro day," he said. "This (is) the first test. I can't wait for the week to progress and me to really showcase myself... There are a lot of things that people need to figure out about me."
BROHM WILL NOT PLAY: Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm elected not to play in this week's game. He was replaced in the South lineup by Ainge.
CELEBRATION: The South All-Stars worked out here at Fairhope High School as part of the Senior Bowl's Eastern Shore Celebration. All practices are open to the public during Senior Bowl Week, but this one offers a special chance for fans to get up-close-and-personal in a high school setting. It also affords scouts and team executives the chance to get on the field with the prospects.
About 500 fans were in attendance, many sporting the colors of their favorite college.
LSU running back Jacob Hester stayed for several minutes after practice to sign autographs for fans. His teammate, Early Doucet said players understood the importance of the event, both to fans and NFL teams.
"It took a little getting used to," he said. "But, after we got through the individuals and started getting to it guys started to relax and have fun. You have to play tough week-in and week-out. Coming out here against some of the best guys in the country you're going to compete .You have that competitive nature in you already. It's not like it's something you have to get used to."
WEATHER REPORT: Last year at this time Mobile and the surrounding area was soaked with rain and coated with cool temperatures. While Monday's practice in Fairhope was cool, the sun stayed out for most of the afternoon. Tomorrow's forecast calls for a high around 64 degrees with a 50-50 chance at rain showers.
Both teams will practice at Ladd-Peebles Stadium for the remainder of the week.
ANOTHER TEST: As a starter at Vanderbilt, Chris Williams was no stranger to tests in the classroom. As a football player in the Southeastern Conference, he was no stranger to more punishing tests on the field. So, Senior Bowl prep is a chance for the 6-foot-6, 317-pound offensive tackle to relax, right? Wrong.
"Overall it was a great experience," Williams said of his first day of practice. "They're all great players -- the best team I've ever played on. It's fun being around these great guys and working hard."
Pro teams also take Senior Bowl Week as a chance to test and interview college players.
"Most teams have a formal set of questions," Williams said. "They're reading off a list. It's about the same for every team and it's kind of generic, but it's what they have to do."
HIGHLIGHT FILM: The defense got the better of the offense on several plays in Monday's practice, including the first interception by a South player. Tennessee State cornerback Dominique Rogers-Cromartie intercepted a pass early in practice intended for Houston wide receiver Donnie Avery.
The offense got going later in the afternoon as Tulane running back Matt Forte put together a nice run over left tackle for about 20 yards. There's no tackling in practice, but Forte did show a nice stiff arm to a defender as he broke free on the edge.
MORE ON THE 2008 SENIOR BOWL:
- DAY-BY-DAY: Click here for day-by-day coverage from AF.com
- BLOG: J. Mike's Missives
- BLOG: Off the Cuff with Mookie Dunkleman
- BLOG: Flipping Out with Falcon Al
- OFFICIAL WEBSITE: SeniorBowl.com
- NFL.COM: Complete NFL Draft coverage
- TELEVISION: NFL Network Coverage Schedule
- ROSTERS (PDF): North (numerical) | North (alphabetical) | South (numerical) | South (alphabetical)
