Courtney Upshaw blogs about Senior Bowl week on SI.com

Yes, that Courtney Upshaw--the former Alabama Crimson Tide star who terrorized SEC offenses with his high energy pass rush.

Courtney Upshaw on Senior Bowl week, NFL Draft preparation - NFL - SI.com

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For me, skipping the Senior Bowl wasn't even an option. Some people were telling me that I was already a projected first-rounder and didn't have anything to gain, but I didn't see it like that. I wanted to get back out on the field; I wanted to play one last game with four of my Alabama teammates; I wanted to further prove myself to NFL scouts.

Thankfully, I think I did pretty well. Though I was an outside linebacker in 'Bama's 3-4, the Redskins' coaching staff -- which was in charge of the South team -- lined me up at defensive end. The position was actually pretty similar to what I played in college, and I felt comfortable lining up there.

I played pretty well in practice and I had some success with my bull rush in one-on-one drills against offensive tackles. I do wish that I would've showcased my other pass-rushing moves more though.

...

I'm in Arizona now, enjoying a little bit of time off before I start training for the Combine. I needed a bit of a break -- I started prepping for the Senior Bowl immediately after we beat LSU in the BCS National Championship and haven't really had any time away from football since last summer.

Read the full Diary here.