Courtesy of North Carolina Central Athletic Communications
MOBILE, Ala. – When North Carolina Central senior cornerback Bryan Mills accepted an invitation to participate in the Reese’s Senior Bowl on Wednesday, he became just the third NCCU Eagle in school history to earn an invitation to the nation’s most prestigious college all-star game.
Mills, a native of Palmdale, Calif., joins former NFL Pro Bowl selections Doug Wilkerson (1970) and Robert Massey (1989) as the only NCCU representatives invited to play in the Senior Bowl.
The Reese’s Senior Bowl is scheduled for Jan. 30, 2021, at the University of South Alabama inside Hancock Whitney Stadium. The annual event showcases the best NFL draft prospects among players who have completed their college eligibility. In the past two years, 93 players from the Reese’s Senior Bowl have been selected in the NFL Draft.
The Reese’s Senior Bowl distinguishes itself from other all-star games by having two full NFL coaching staffs. Last year, the two teams were coached by the Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals, and there were more than 900 credentialed NFL personnel in Mobile, Alabama, for game week.
Mills was voted as a 2019 First Team All-MEAC honoree and selected to the AFCA?Football Championship Subdivision (FCS)?Coaches’ All-America Team and BOXTOROW All-America Team in his first season at NCCU after transferring from the College of Canyons. Mills led the conference with five interceptions, and ranked second in the MEAC with 13 passes defended. He also accounted for 22 tackles.
Also during his junior campaign in 2019, the cornerback tied the NCCU record for interceptions in a game with three picks, including two on throws to the end zone to prevent touchdowns, at Morgan State on Sept. 28, earning recognition as MEAC Defensive Player of the Week, BOXTOROW National Player of the Week and STATS FCS National Defensive Player of the Week. Mills also grabbed the gave-saving, walk-off interception inside the 5-yard line against Delaware State on Oct. 26.
In April, Mills was placed on a list of the top HBCU prospects for the 2021 NFL Draft by Draft Diamonds.
With the support of the NCCU coaching staff, the highly-touted cornerback has opted to forgo his senior season in order to pursue his NFL aspirations.
For more information about the Reese’s Senior Bowl, visit www.seniorbowl.com.
