Behind the scenes at the Senior Bowl weigh-in, the moment of truth is at hand. It's just after dawn on a Tuesday in late January, and already the massive South Exhibit Hall of the Mobile Convention Center in Alabama is packed with NFL personnel types, clipboards at the ready. Meanwhile, on the other side of the pageant-style stage, players are pacing around in the dark, in various stages of undress, when Titans scout Mike Boni pokes his head through the curtains to offer instructions about one of the most bizarre yet necessary events in sports.
As he speaks, the players try not to stare at the shiny metal carpenter's square in Boni's right hand.