Graham Harrell and Pat White wanted to show they could thrive in a prostyle offense like they did in college ball. Nathan Brown and Rhett Bomar wanted to convince NFL teams they're not just small-school stars.
John Parker Wilson and Cullen Harper also hoped to use Saturday night's showcase for top senior NFL prospects as a launching pad for pro careers, one coming off a 12-win season and the other off a disappointing year.
None of them are as coveted by NFL teams as underclassmen Matthew Stafford of Georgia and Mark Sanchez of Southern California. It's hard to argue with their college credentials, though.
Harrell finished his Texas Tech career with an NCAA-record 134 touchdown passes, 15,793 passing yards — second on the all-time list — and some questions he is eager to answer.
"More than anything, I think this is an opportunity to break some of the stereotypes that come with being a quarterback at Texas Tech,"
he said. "A lot of people act like it's just the system. Obviously the system helps you put up great numbers, but there's a little more to it than just the system at Texas Tech."
On Saturday, he spent more time actually huddling and taking more snaps under center than he's accustomed to. The game, though, was merely the finale of a weeklong series of meetings, interviews and practices where the players could attempt to put themselves in better position for the draft.
Among the top prospects participating were Southern Cal linebacker Rey Maualuga, Mississippi left tackle Michael Oher, Boston College defensive tackle B.J. Raji, Virginia left tackle Eugene Monroe and Oklahoma State tight end Brandon Pettigrew.
The game marked a homecoming for White, a Daphne native who was set to play in "a game I've watched since the very first year of my life, probably."
Once again, he sought to prove he can play quarterback. Auburn and Alabama weren't convinced of that when he was being recruited out of high school, leading him to head to West Virginia.
The prolific and athletic White was trying to answer skeptics who wonder if he will land at quarterback or possibly wide receiver in the NFL.
"That's the position that got me here. I played quarterback for six years, two in high school,"
White said.
Like Harrell, he is a record-setting college player with much to show the NFL. He was 4-0 as a starter in bowl games — a first for a quarterback — and a two-time Big East Offensive Player of the Year. White also set the NCAA mark for career rushing yards by a quarterback with 4,480.
What does he want to prove? "That I can play the game of football. That's what we're all here to show."
Wilson and Harrell showed they could lead teams into national championship contention as seniors, even if the teams couldn't finish the job.
