49ers' Nolan to coach in Senior Bowl again

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) - San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Nolan and his staff will lead the South team in the Senior Bowl for the third straight year.The NFL chooses the coaches each year for the game, an audition for top senior pro prospects.``I think coa

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) - San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Nolan and his staff will lead the South team in the Senior Bowl for the third straight year.

``I think coaching the Senior Bowl is a great opportunity and a blessing for the entire San Francisco 49ers organization,'' Nolan said Friday.

``It's the best way to evaluate players that I've come to know. I think it's an exciting game, and it's an exciting bunch of players. Ninety-five or 100 percent of the players make a team in the NFL, so that's huge.''

In 2007, the 49ers selected six Senior Bowl players in the draft, more than any other NFL team. That included two first-rounders, linebacker Patrick Willis and offensive lineman Joe Staley. Willis was selected the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year on Friday.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.