MOBILE, Ala. — There’s one more thing Jon Gruden needs to see from his Senior Bowl North squad before the first day of practice is officially over. The players back up into two lines, forming a gauntlet. Khalen Saunders, a 320-pound defensive tackle from Western Illinois, one of the smallest schools represented at the annual All-Star game, takes a deep breath and gets ready for takeoff.
Saunders will explain afterward: “When Coach Gruden tells you to do a backflip, you do a backflip!”
He runs forcefully into a roundoff-backflip combo. He soars through the air on his flip and lands it easily.