The 2025 Senior Bowl will provide an opportunity for NFL draft prospects to prove themselves on the largest pre-draft stage. Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough plans on taking full advantage. Shough recently spoke exclusively with the Senior Bowl and Draft Network to discuss his motivation for accepting his invitation to compete in Mobile, Alabama.
Shough also discussed what he's striving to prove to NFL general managers and scouts in attendance at the Senior Bowl, his abilities as a dual-threat quarterback, how he’d write his own scouting report, and more. Let's get to know Shough better ahead of his journey to the Senior Bowl.
JM: Where were you when you found out about your Senior Bowl invite and what was your initial reaction?
Tyler Shough: I was at Louisville’s football facility getting ready for meetings. Deion Branch, our NFL player liaison personnel guy, played for the New England Patriots. Branch has really been a terrific resource for me at the program. He has a great connection with his players. He informed me that hey, this [Senior Bowl invite] is probably going to happen for you. We ended up getting on the phone with Jim Nagy and making it official.
I received the verbal invite before the mail invite (laughs). It actually arrived the next day. It was a great feeling for me. It’s something I’d been working and striving for as I prepared for this pre-draft process. I’m looking forward to being around the best prospects in the country at all positions.
JM: There’s no doubt about that. What motivated you to accept the Senior Bowl’s offer?
Tyler Shough: When I was deciding whether or not to enter the 2024 NFL Draft, or come back and play another year, I wanted to prove to myself and others that I was a high-level player. I wanted to prove that to Nagy as well because I wanted to earn that invite. It was pretty obvious that I wasn’t going to get a Senior Bowl invite last year. Heck, it was a long shot [to get an invite this year] this time last year.
To put together the season that I did, it was something I was hoping for, and I knew I was capable of it. To get that Senior Bowl invite, and receive praise from Nagy, it was a great feeling because a lot of work went into it.
The Senior Bowl invite feels like the culmination of all my hard work. There were some things that happened early in my career with injuries and whatnot, but I kept sticking the course. Things worked out for me.
JM: We love your approach. What are you hoping to prove to NFL general managers, coaching staffs, and scouts in attendance in Mobile?
Tyler Shough: I want to prove that I’m a quarterback that can change your organization. I’m going to make it better. I feel like I’m ready to come in and start right away. I feel like I have a lot of experience in different offensive schemes.
Even if we have a veteran quarterback, I can come in and help make that room better. I can be a glue guy that knows the offense and helps support the starter however I can. I’m going to find a way to add value. At the same time, I’m going to push the starter and compete for playing time.
At this point in my career, taking my experience into account, and the relationships I’ve built with my past coaching staffs, I’ve been exposed to just about anything you can see from an offense. Combining that with my skill set, I feel like I add a lot of value to the program.
JM: We love that. How would you describe your overall skill set as a quarterback? Self-scout yourself for me.
Tyler Shough: I feel like a veteran quarterback. I’m mature and experienced. I can make every single throw. I extend the pocket and make plays with my legs. I’m both mentally and physically unbreakable at this point.
I've overcome adversity. I’m ready to help a team win a championship. My mindset throughout this entire process, I feel ready to go as far as the NFL goes. If you had spoken to me three or four years ago, I may have given you a different answer. I’ve undergone a ton of personal growth.
JM: If you had to compare yourself to a current NFL quarterback, who would you choose and why?
Tyler Shough: I really admire and look up to Josh Allen. Jared Goff is another guy that comes to mind. I really want to emulate them and learn from their tape. Learning from them would really complement my skill set.
JM: What do you think you can achieve at the Senior Bowl that you can’t at other pre-draft events?
Tyler Shough: I feel like it’s a great opportunity to talk firsthand with scouts and NFL decision-makers. They’re going to be on the field watching us and coaching us up. I’m excited for my personality to shine through in those moments. I wanna get on the board and showcase my football IQ.
I just want NFL teams to get to know me as a person and player. The up-close nature of the Senior Bowl is going to work in my favor. My understanding of the offenses I’ve played in, my ability to diagnose defenses, all of that is going to show up on the practice field. I’m excited to connect with my teammates. We’re going to enjoy some great practices. I can’t wait for the install and all that. I feel like I really shine in those moments.
JM: Fun question before we let you go. What’s on Tyler Shough’s pre-game playlist?
Tyler Shough: This entire season, to the Senior Bowl and the pre-draft process, there’s been a lot of Blink-182 on the playlist. I’ve been listening to their album “Enema of the State” on repeat whenever I’m busing over to a game. Blink-182 is the pregame playlist.
JM: This has been awesome. At the end of the week, what does a successful Senior Bowl look like for Tyler Shough?
Tyler Shough: I’m just looking forward to being myself and showing what I can do. I think that’s going to be enough to improve my pre-draft stock. Teams are going to want to choose me. I’m a favorable quarterback to add to the locker room.
I’m going to check a lot of boxes. I can come in and lead a team, lead the program right away. I want to help us put wins on the board. I’m really excited for the opportunity to showcase that.
