MOBILE — Former Georgia standout offensive linemen Cordy Glenn and Ben Jones are Senior Bowl roommates and they chat, compare notes and tell a joke or two before going to sleep at night.
They review their respective interviews with NFL teams and go over a page or two in the South’s playbook for the 63rd Senior Bowl, which is set for 4 p.m. Saturday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
“It’s always good to have another buddy on the team that’s going through the same process as you,” Jones said. “When you get back to the room, you don’t have to worry about making friends. You know he’s your boy and you can sleep a lot easier at night.”
Jones and Glenn have been through three days of practice under the direction of Mike Shanahan and the Washington Redskins coaching staff.
“We can relate to each other, and we can study together,” Glenn said. “He knows certain things. He knows what gets me going, and I know what gets him going. It’s an advantage for this situation, and it makes it more comfortable being here.”
Jones has practiced at center, left guard and right guard. Glenn has played at left tackle and left guard. At Georgia, Jones was a center and Glenn came on strong as the left tackle last season.
Jones is listed as the fourth-best center prospect in the senior class, and Glenn is listed as the top guard prospect in ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper’s 2012 NFL draft preview.
“Whatever it takes, I just want to be on their board at the end of the day,” Jones said.
Jones has seen projections for him for the second and third rounds of the draft. “Hopefully, I have a good week and the sky is the limit,” Jones said.
Glenn, who played at Riverdale High, last played some guard during his junior season for the Bulldogs. Because of injuries, he was needed at left tackle last season.
“I had to step up,” Glenn said. “I started out slow, but I thought I progressed as the season went on. I improved with every game. I felt I became more polished and more comfortable by the end of the year.”
Both believe that being versatile will help their professional futures.
“We don’t have many offensive linemen down here, so we are all rolling everywhere,” Jones said. “You know that if you get into a system, they only travel six or seven guys. The center/guards, you have to be able to play all of them. In college I only played center, but I’m getting the hang of it.”
Jones, who ranks third all-time at UGA in career starts by a lineman with 49, has interviewed with 10 to 15 NFL teams, including the Green Bay Packers and the Oakland Raiders.
“If they want me to come in and bulk up and get bigger, I can definitely do that,” said Jones, who’s listed at 6-foot-3, 316 pounds. “But if they need me to slim down, I can do that, too. I will do whatever it takes to fit their program.”
Glenn has found the interview process intriguing.
“They want to know if I like playing football or do I love playing football,” Glenn said. “If they draft me, what they can expect from me. They just want you to tell the truth, be truthful with them.”
Glenn, who didn’t start playing football until high school, said he’s not solely motivated by making a huge NFL salary.
“Who doesn’t want to make a lot of money?” Glenn said. “But, I want to show people that I can play. I don’t want to be a bust and be a guy that made a lot of money and nobody ever hears about them.”
