Browns coach Hue Jackson wasn't bluffing Monday when he said he "would jump" at accepting an invitation to coach in the Senior Bowl.
It was announced Tuesday that the staffs of the Browns and Chicago Bears will coach in the Senior Bowl on Jan. 28 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala.
Jackson believes the opportunity to coach some of college football's best players will help the Browns prepare for April's draft. The Browns will be armed with several picks, including two in the first round (Nos. 1 and 12 overall) and the first selection of the second round (No. 33 overall).
"I’m excited about coaching the Senior Bowl," Jackson said in a news release. "They really do an outstanding job of getting great players to participate in the game. Obviously, this can be really beneficial to our organization by spending a week coaching some of the best players in college football while we are preparing for the draft.
"I always say coaching is all about teaching and putting players in the best environment to succeed. I really look at this as an opportunity to help these young men be at their best during a week in which they get to showcase their talents to the entire National Football League."
Players will arrive in Mobile on Jan. 23 and practice for three days leading up to the game.
"Jackson has a sterling reputation as an innovative offensive mind and is motivated to turn the Browns around," Senior Bowl Executive Director Phil Savage, a former general manger of the Browns, said in the release. “So, this is an ideal situation for Cleveland to get a head start on the 2017 NFL Draft. He and his staff will do a great job with these all-star prospects."
The Browns have coached in the Senior Bowl 10 times, most recently in 1993 when Bill Belichick was their head coach and Savage was a defensive assistant on the staff.
The Browns will coach the South team. The Bears will coach the North team.