BYU football seniors Jamaal Williams and Harvey Langi have each accepted invitations to the 2017 Reese’s Senior Bowl game after stellar senior seasons in Provo.
The Senior bowl has hosted NFL greats from Bo Jackson to Von Miller and former BYU football players haven’t had much of a problem punching their tickets in years past.
Since 2013 BYU has sent five seniors to the Senior Bowl including Ezekiel Ansah, Cody Hoffman, Kyle Van Noy, Devin Mahina and Bronson Kaufusi. Three of those players are currently in the NFL (Ansah, Van Noy and Kaufusi).
Williams and Langi will be the sixth and seventh Cougars invited to the Senior Bowl since since 2013 and the 40th and 41st Cougars overall.
“These guys are the leaders,” said head coach Kalani Sitake about Williams, Langi and their two co-captains. “And they’re the reason we were able to make the change from 1-3 and go off on a string of wins. The guys played their butts off and they lead and they’re great young men.”
Williams, who will play running back at the Senior Bowl, had a historic college career at BYU. He scored 36 touchdowns and rushed for a school-record 3,901 yards.
The Senior Bowl selection is the punctuation mark at the end of a great season for Williams, which featured a 286 yard and five touchdown game in a victory against Toledo.
Langi will be playing linebacker at the Senior Bowl, but suited up at a number of positions for the Cougars this season. In addition to linebacker, Langi played defensive end and took 20 carries for 79 yards and two touchdowns as running back.
“Everyone always comes up and asks me the different positions,” Langi said after BYU’s 24-21 victory over Wyoming. “And I tell them, ‘Hey, I get to play football and that’s what I love doing.’ If I’m going to play football as the place holder, the kicker, the defensive end, linebacker or running back, I’m happy because I get to play football.”
The 2017 Reese’s Senior Bowl will be played Jan. 28 at 1:30 pm CST in Mobile, Alabama. The game can be viewed on NFL Network and the complete rosters will be unveiled on Jan. 18.
