With Northwestern’s 34-7 victory over Central Michigan in the GameAbove Sports Bowl in the rear-view mirror, five members of the Wildcats’ graduating class were given another opportunity to don a purple helmet and pads once more on their hopeful paths to signing an NFL contract later this year during the offseason’s all-star bowl showcases.
Quarterback Preston Stone, defensive lineman Carmine Bastone and defensive back Fred Davis II were the first to do so, making the trip to Florida for the Hula Bowl in mid-January. The trio played for Team Kai under the supervision of former NFL coach Jon Gruden.
Stone worked closely with Gruden, often sitting beside him in the front row during the week’s install meetings.
“Getting to be on Coach Gruden’s team was a really, really cool experience,” Stone later said in an interview on The Touchdown with Doug Smith. “His knowledge and passion for the game is second to none, unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”
Bastone and Davis worked primarily with former Bears and Panthers’ coach John Fox, who served as the defensive coordinator for Team Kai.
Together, Stone, Bastone, Davis and the rest of Team Kai utilized an interesting mix of venues to prepare for the final game versus coach Jay Gruden — Jon’s brother — and Team Aina.
Throughout the week, the team held walkthroughs in a ballroom at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort nearby the conference rooms it had used for other meetings. Stone and the other quarterbacks led the huddle and took mock-snaps on the carpeted floor, yelling out their cadences and going through their dropbacks as the team prepared for outdoor practices.
Just a day before the final game, a scheduling issue prevented the team from using its normal spot — Stetson University’s Spec Martin Memorial Stadium — so the group took practice to the beach.
Standing barefoot in a grassy lawn mere feet from the Atlantic Ocean, Stone led Team Kai’s first-team unit in a padless walkthrough, receiving feedback and some characteristic banter from Gruden along the way.
Although it was originally slated to air on CBS, the game was ultimately not televised. Gruden later released a documentary-style recap video of the week’s events Jan. 30.
NU’s signal-caller from last year made quite the impression on Gruden, with his coach naming him a first-half captain and giving him the reins for the first series of the game.
With the opportunity, Stone impressed, completing a handful of gutsy throws over the middle in his first outing and shedding a would-be sack and throwing a dime on the run for a toe-tap catch 25 yards down the sideline the next time out
Stone exited the game with a 20-14 lead, going 5-of-5 with a game-high 98 yards over his two touchdown drives, earning a custom Chucky helmet sticker from Gruden as well as offensive MVP honors for Team Kai.
Stone and his fellow ’Cats representatives wound up on top as Team Kai defeated Team Aina 38-21, with the quarterback capping his performance with possibly the most illustrious gift of all — the opportunity to hoist the Powerade jug and douse his coach’s head at the end of the week.
A few weeks later, in Frisco, Texas, offensive lineman Evan Beerntsen and defensive lineman Aidan Hubbard attended the East-West Shrine Bowl. Both players participated on behalf of the West team, although Beerntsen did not play in the final competition.
The five-day festivities included player media interviews each day leading up to the game, allowing players to meet representatives from NFL teams and other media members to show a side of themselves off the field and make a lasting impression ahead of a busy draft season.
“This is an awesome opportunity for me, for all the guys here, really. It’s a lot bigger than the game,” Hubbard said in an interview with The League Winners.
Behind a strong graduate season capped by a three-sack versus Central Michigan in his final game, which Hubbard dubbed the favorite moment of his collegiate career since it gave him one more opportunity to celebrate with his teammates, he climbed to fifth in NU’s career sack leaderboard.
Despite this success, he emphasized in his interviews a commitment to year-over-year improvement and hoped his performance in the Shrine Bowl would put his growth as a player on display.
“Every year, it’s just getting faster, bigger, stronger,” Hubbard said on his goals ahead of the draft process. “Within this game, I want to showcase that I have improved in those areas, and show that I’m an explosive, athletic and versatile player.”
In a 21-17 victory over the East Team, Hubbard put a lot on tape, rushing off both sides of the line, dropping into coverage on occasion and contributing on special teams. With some impressive reps in practice and a pair of strong tackles in the game, he garnered some buzz among media members in attendance.
After already attending the Hula Bowl earlier in the month, Davis accepted an invitation to the Panini Senior Bowl.
The below-freezing conditions in Mobile, Alabama, highlighted by players huddling around heaters on the sideline during the game, were a far cry from beachfront walkthroughs under the Florida sun, but this didn’t prevent Davis from making the most of the extra all-star game opportunity.
A standout during the week’s practices, Davis capitalized on the added attention by turning a tipped pass into a takeaway for the American Team, backed up against its own red zone late in the first half.
Although Davis played 54 games across six years in the NCAA, the interception was his first against live collegiate competition and was one of the many aspects of his performance that propelled his draft stock upward during the week, which ended with a 17-9 win over the National Team.
The cornerback has reportedly met with the Philadelphia Eagles three times — twice at the Hula Bowl and once at the Senior Bowl.
All together, the ’Cats showed out across their all-star game appearances, going undefeated across three bowl appearances and drumming up some hype ahead of the NFL Draft.
With their NU-issued pads now taken off for the last time, these five players and the remaining members of the ’Cats draft-eligible class will have two more key opportunities to shine in front of NFL front offices — this time in shorts.
Those lucky enough to get the invite to the NFL Combine will travel to Indianapolis later this month, with events beginning on Feb. 23. NU will also host its annual pro day prior to the draft, and Stone noted that he is planning to attend the event, which he said was scheduled for March 17 during his interview on The Touchdown with Doug Smith.