MOBILE, Ala. — When most people think of the Panini Senior Bowl, they picture the all-star game featuring some of the nation’s best college players. But the staff is busy all year, and lately that has meant delivering football gear to local high schools.
The organization’s latest outing took equipment to Elberta, B.C. Rain and Blount high schools. The items included shoulder pads, pants, weight room equipment, tackling dummies and blocking sleds. According to its website, the nonprofit has donated almost $8 million to youth-related charities along the Gulf Coast since arriving in Mobile in 1951.
Why they did it
Scott Cooper, president of the Mobile Arts & Sports Association, said the equipment drops came from seeing a chance to help public school athletes.
“Many of these schools have limited resources and face challenges when it comes to purchasing the equipment their athletes need,” Cooper said. “We want to help bridge that gap by putting quality equipment directly into the hands of coaches and student-athletes who can truly benefit from it.”
Schools are chosen by working directly with head coaches at public county schools in Mobile and Baldwin counties, he said, with a goal of giving back to programs that need it most.
Senior Bowl Executive Director Drew Fabianich said he had not been involved in anything like it before.
“Some of these schools and athletic programs have limited resources, and being able to provide equipment while also giving the athletes a little extra excitement and encouragement can make a meaningful difference,” he said.
The partnership behind it
Fabianich pointed to the Mobile/Baldwin Athletic Partnership, or MBAP, a nonprofit launched under the Senior Bowl in 2021 and patterned after a longstanding program in Birmingham. It provides resources for underfunded public schools in the two counties. Its leaders work with coaches to identify needs, from pants and jerseys to blocking sleds and video technology, and all resources go directly to football and athletics programs.
MBAP’s second mission is character and leadership development. Each summer, team leaders chosen by head coaches attend a two-day overnight camp with team-building sessions, life-skills seminars and appearances by former NFL players and coaches.
Molly Middleton, director of public relations and community outreach, said the broader goal is investing in future community leaders through athletics. Other efforts include an NFL Flag League, the Turkey Bowl and a Community Service Day with visits to hospitals and elementary schools.
“The community embraces the Senior Bowl, and we want to continue embracing and supporting the community in return,” Fabianich said.
The 2027 game
Tickets are on sale for the 78th annual Panini Senior Bowl, set for 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, at the University of South Alabama’s Hancock Whitney Stadium. Tickets start at $15.
With Senior Bowl Week increasingly overlapping Mobile’s Mardi Gras season, which wraps up Feb. 9, the organization asked the NFL to move the 2027 game a week earlier. The league approved after work with city and county leaders, the Oak View Group and local hotels.
For the first time since 2022, the NFL will provide two full coaching staffs for the game’s National and American teams. The teams will be announced before game week.
“The Senior Bowl is truly the first stage of the NFL draft process, and with representation from all 32 NFL teams, it’s the perfect opportunity for the best college players in the country to showcase their talent right here in Mobile,” Fabianich said. “Bringing back two full NFL coaching staffs for the first time since 2022 will only elevate the experience for our players, coaches and fans.”
