As the 2023 NFL Draft process carries on, the first wave of East-West Shrine Bowl invites is nearly upon us. As the initial evaluation process winds down for many players, the focus for Director Eric Galko and his staff now shifts to the Shrine Bowl event itself, and how they can give their players the best opportunity to be successful.
Shrine Bowl’s Ultimate Purpose Is To Serve the Players
The work is by no means over for the Shrine Bowl’s staff. As Galko said just last week, the evaluation process remains dynamic through the entire season. But for all the words we’ve written on the evaluation process itself, that initial scouting phase is almost over for the Shrine Bowl.
An immense amount of work went into making players green and coming to that emphatic “yes” on prospects. But now, players are green and are receiving invites. And the roster-building process has officially been set into motion.
It’s still too early to tell what the Shrine Bowl’s roster will look like. Many draft prospects will have a choice to make, regarding which all-star game they attend. As those decisions are being made, however, Galko is solely focused on making the Shrine Bowl the best event it can be for the players and putting in place the resources they need to make the most out of their opportunity.
Shrine Bowl Environment Will Be Engineered To Maximize Player Performance
Choosing an all-star game to attend isn’t as simple as it appears to be on the surface. Galko knows better than most that it’s a nuanced process, with a lot of fine details to take into account. But one way Galko aims to make that decision easier is to have all the necessary resources available at the Shrine Bowl to give the players the comfort and knowledge they need to maximize their game.
“The biggest point here is: This is an all-star game,” Galko said. “It’s meant to be fun. It’s meant to be a great opportunity to celebrate your career, in some ways. But I view this — and players should view this — as a business move. This is a business decision: ‘Hey, this is my chance to get drafted, and get drafted early by an NFL team. How is this part of my draft process going to put me in a position to do that?’ I take that responsibility very seriously.”
In a way, the Shrine Bowl takes these prospects into their own hands when the event rolls around in late January. It’s up to the prospects to make the most of their chance in front of NFL teams in Las Vegas — but the responsibility is just as much on the Shrine Bowl to give those players the environment they need, to be their best self. That responsibility extends to every conceivable department.
“Last year at the Shrine Bowl, I said: ‘Hey, we’re going to have the best food an all-star game’s ever had.’ We’re going to make sure we have high-quality food and make sure these guys are well-fed — that matters,” Galko expanded.
“I want these guys to get at least eight hours of sleep, if not more. These guys are not going to have obligations with NFL scouts or teams past 8 p.m. Get some sleep, get some rest, because I believe, if you’re at your best, you’re going to go exactly where you should be drafted, or earlier. That requires being well-fed, well-rested, and having time to mentally relax a bit.”
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Beyond a structured schedule tailored to increase player comfort, Galko also says players will have access to mental health coaches and recovery resources at the Shrine Bowl, as well as cryotherapy for body replenishing.
It’s an exciting time for Galko when prospects accept their invites. But for Galko, the win doesn’t come when that acceptance message comes through. The win comes when a prospect comes away from their week at the Shrine Bowl and can confidently say they learned something, got better, enjoyed their time, and played at their best level because the Shrine Bowl enabled them to do so.
That applies on the field, in the locker room, and during interviews. It’s all geared at molding prospects into the professional football players they aim to be.
“It’s my job to make sure these guys are taken care of when they’re under the Shrine Bowl’s care for seven to eight days,” Galko reiterated. “And I think on top of that this year, the interview process is super, super important.
“For a lot of players, the interview process during the week of practice matters more than what they do on the field. Last year, we had the most interviews an all-star process has ever had, but it was also during regular hours. It was structured, it was organized. Every NFL team had at least 30 minutes with every player, and they had more if they wanted it.”
Galko is cognizant of the fact that the all-star process can be overwhelming, with so many different things being thrown at players. There’s no shying away from the pressure that comes with being at an all-star game. But that’s why Galko is intent on giving players all the resources they need to navigate through an unfamiliar week and emerge on the other side, being better because of it.
“It’s a chance for these guys to get as much jammed into this week, without it being stressful,” he concludes. “If you’re at your best, you’re going to interview better. You’re going to practice better. You’re going to play better, and you’re going to be in better spirits for what will be a gauntlet of an NFL draft process.”
The Value of Being Coached by NFL Staffs at the Shrine Bowl
Not only is Galko working to ensure that the Shrine Bowl has the resources in place to benefit the players, but the NFL is also partnered with the Shrine Bowl. By extension, the two teams at the Shrine Bowl — East and West — will be coached by the two NFL teams at the top of the 2023 NFL Draft order.
As of now, those teams are the Detroit Lions and the Houston Texans. It may change before the end of the year. But no matter who winds up in position to coach the Shrine Bowl, that chance to be led and taught by active NFL coaches is just another element that separates the Shrine Bowl as an incredibly valuable opportunity for NFL prospects.
While Galko says the interaction with NFL coaches in a team setting is especially important for positions like quarterback, center, and linebacker, which often carry more on their plate, it’s ultimately a chance for every player at every position to get an inside look at the process. Some of these coaches played in the NFL as well, so there’s also that hands-on experience — in addition to the attention to detail that comes with professional coaching.
“Just getting a chance to learn, and learn what they do, learn how they operate, learn their habits and tendencies, from some of the best minds in the business,” Galko said of the coaching staffs’ impact. “If I want to be a receiver in the NFL? I get to hear from an NFL receivers coach what I should be doing, what they care about, and what they’re looking for. Just that peek into how NFL teams operate, with the full staff, is so important.”
It’s not just about learning how to operate, either. It’s also about gaining experience with an NFL coaching staff in real-time, seeing how position and head coaches interact, gaining comfort with NFL practice protocols, and being actively imbued in that team setting. Beyond that, Galko also says the interpersonal element is just as notable, and it’s another aspect that’s magnified in the Shrine Bowl setting.
“These teams are drafting a lot off of who you are as a person. And it’s hard to beat evaluating a person when you’re actually working with them. It’s almost like a week-long internship for these players,” Galko explained.
“The job provider can see if this guy’s a good fit for the company, and vice versa. It’s pretty unique to have that taste. I think for players, they can think about that saying: ‘Wow, I can go learn from Lovie Smith or Pep Hamilton.’ It’s a tangible thing. I can learn so much in a week from those coaches. I need to take advantage of that.”
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And Galko can say first-hand, after talking with prospects early in the process, that the presence of NFL coaching staffs is indeed of great value. Much like choosing a college or a transfer destination, it’s all about finding the right environment. The coaching staffs are another factor in that equation for the Shrine Bowl, but it all matters for creating the best environment possible.
“Players now understand how important taking care of their bodies is, and being in the right situation, or at the right facility. Knowing you’re going to have all these great recovery resources is going to be very important. Some players I’ve talked to have said: ‘Hey, the fact that you guys focus on mental health and getting enough sleep — it matters a lot to me to have those resources.’ Every player attaches a different reason, about why the Shrine Bowl is great for them.”
Galko emphasizes that the Shrine Bowl isn’t just going to grind players to the bone for seven days. There will be work to do, absolutely — that’s never a question. But there’s a true sense, talking to Galko and the Shrine Bowl staff, that they care about putting these prospects in the best position to succeed and elevate their stock, so long as they take advantage of the opportunity.
“Players are picking an agent, they’re picking a training facility, they’re picking a financial advisor,” Galko went on. “Picking an all-star game is a similar business decision. Who’s going to take care of me best in the draft process? Every player has a different reason for why the Shrine Bowl is going to be best for them.”
Shrine Bowl Providing Similar Comfort and Flexibility With Personnel
Naturally, there isn’t just interest on the player side to see what the Shrine Bowl has to offer. There’s also active interest on the NFL side, to see what players will be present in Las Vegas, and what opportunities NFL teams will have to acclimate themselves with NFL-caliber talent.
“The exciting part for me is, based on people I know at a lot of organizations that may be rebuilding, they’re always asking: ‘Who do you guys have this year?’ A lot of teams peek ahead, because just in case they’re coaching, how are things looking?”
Of course, the process of marrying a prospect group to a coaching staff isn’t as simple as bringing the two groups together. The Shrine Bowl has to be prepared, to a degree, from a schematic and usage standpoint. The Shrine Bowl won’t make those usage decisions for the coaches, but they will give the coaches the flexibility to experiment with alignments and different personnel groupings.
“Last year, we benefitted from having a 3-4 and a 4-3 base team on both sides,” Galko said. “We had 11 personnel and 12 personnel. That allowed us to build the roster according to personnel systems. I hope to do that again this year because I think it benefits players in a lot of ways.”
In this context, another topic that arises is that of offensive linemen and positional versatility on the offensive front. Every year, we see prospects who’ve played tackle take reps at guard and center on the all-star circuit. That’s not a decision made on a whim, however. It goes back to Galko’s chief directing purpose at the Shrine Bowl: To serve and benefit the players. Interestingly enough, in doing so, he attunes the all-star setting to properly inform NFL teams as well.
“It’s my job to do two things in my view,” Galko began. “One: It’s to make sure these players are in the best position to be successful. That goes from health and recovery, to what position they feel comfortable playing. At the same time, I also work for NFL scouts, who want to properly evaluate these players.”
Galko says that, ultimately, the best way to give NFL scouts a proper evaluation is to give players the comfort they need to show all of who they are. What that comfort demands is different for every player, but Galko commits to establishing that comfort with every prospect.
“There was a player last year who said, ‘Hey, I have not worked at guard ever in my career. Some teams might say guard, but I want to stay at tackle if that’s okay. If I go to guard and play bad, they’ll have a bad perception of me. Can I wait until my pro day?’ I took that, and I said, ‘I’m on your side.’ Talked with some teams, and they get it — it’s okay,” Galko recalled.
“So it’s a really delicate balance because you don’t want to force a kid who’s not ready to play center to snap the ball and play terribly. And then it hurts his draft value, and NFL teams are getting a bad eval because they’re not watching him at where he’s supposed to play. I actually advocate to kids: Don’t try to say you can play everywhere. Figure out what you’re good at, and make sure teams get a good eval of you.”
Especially for offensive linemen who are projected to change positions, there may be pressure to show off versatility or positional flexibility at all-star games. Even with that pressure, Galko says it’s important — both for himself and for prospects — not to force the issue. Because in doing so, you may extend too far past your comfort zone to play at your best.
“People sometimes assume versatility means better. The question is not, ‘Can you play multiple positions?’ The question is, ‘Can you play multiple positions at an NFL level?’
“Can you play both guard spots? Can you play left tackle and left guard tomorrow? That’s what versatility is, and I think as teams build their roster, when they have eight linemen on their roster, your sixth and seventh linemen probably have to be guys who can play, combined, at least four positions. If you already have a starting left guard, you’d probably rather have someone who can play both guard spots well.”
Prospects with that versatility readily available will get a chance to show it at the Shrine Bowl. And just as prospects can stay within their comfort zone, there’ll also be an opportunity for prospects to take a chance and shift across the line — if they’re ready and comfortable.
“The way we really operate is — we want the best 22 to 24 offensive linemen in the draft class to be there. And we want to keep some things in mind — make sure we get reps at guard and tackle and center. We can’t have 22 offensive tackles who can’t snap the ball. So it’s a delicate balance of having guys who may transition to center. There’s a couple players that have been invited, that we know are going to snap the ball during the week of practice. And there are some players who’ll only play center during the week of practice.”
What players end up doing and not doing ultimately boils down to individual comfort. Comfort is the biggest priority for Galko. That’s true on and off the field.
Shrine Bowl Brings an Added Focus on Mental Health
Nutrition plans, recovery procedures, NFL coaching staffs, schematic comfort — these are just a few of the resources that Galko plans to have readily available for prospects. But another resource present at the Shrine Bowl, and one that underlines all of the above components, is the availability of mental health support.
The all-star process comes with a degree of natural pressure. It’s a showcase where dozens of young aspiring NFL prospects seek to elevate their stock. Especially in such a tight time window, it can be overwhelming. That’s not lost on Galko. In fact, it’s something that’s on his mind every year.
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“Last year when we did this, someone at the Shriners Hospital asked me: ‘What would be considered a success, in terms of mental health?'” Galko reflected.
“I said: ‘If just one or two of these players could say they learned how to deal with something, or they felt better while they were here, all of this was worth it.’
“Mental health is important for me personally. I’ve made it a priority for the Shrine Bowl this year. Nothing we do is just for show. Along with me being available to talk with these players about the draft process, we have private mental performance coaches and mental health professionals available during the week of practice. Mental performance and mental health are different, but they combine to ensure that players are going to be at their best, and able to deal with stress.”
In addition to having those professionals present, Galko says the Shrine Bowl has a partnership with BetterHelp, an online platform that enables prospects to talk with trained psychiatrists over text, call, or Zoom. Those same prospects get a full month of BetterHelp resources free, for at least four sessions. On top of that, NFL player engagement employees from the league office will also be present, to speak on the topic of mental health, and managing the pressure of the NFL draft process.
That draft process, Galko says, isn’t always appreciated for how delicate and fragile it is. He draws upon his experience with the XFL and says that some players wound up in the XFL because they didn’t have the necessary resources during the draft process. As director of the Shrine Bowl, that’s something he, to the best of his ability, aims to rectify.
“The goal is not to overdo it, but a lot of players are going through a lot. They’re about to go through a lot more,” Galko admitted. “And the Shrine Bowl is kind of the doorway through a longer draft process for them. I want to set these guys up for success.”
Through that lens, the Shrine Bowl takes on an added meaning. It’s not just providing a fleeting, week-long opportunity for players. It’s also giving them the tools and the knowledge they need to perform well at the NFL Combine, at their pro days, in interviews, and throughout the entirety of the NFL draft process.