Former Western Kentucky football players Cam Clemmons and Cam Thomas will play in Saturday’s East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Clemmons, an offensive lineman, will play for the West Team while Thomas, a cornerback, will play for the East Team. Comments from both below.

Cam Clemmons

    Practice: “Practice has been good. I’m being coached up by Howard Mudd – I didn’t know at first, but he’s a legendary coach from the NFL. He’s been around for a long time.

    “At first it was tough just adjusting to a new technique, because he’s teaching different things than what you learn in college. It was different for all the linemen having to adjust to that. But practice has been going well, there’s a lot of competition and we had three good days of pads – Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

    “It’s kind of surreal when you’re out there and you see all the scouts and stuff. You now it’s big-time now. I’m just soaking it all in.”

    The experience: “It’s crazy. I didn’t think it’d be anything like this. When you first get here you’re taking personality tests and psychological tests and all these teams have FBI agents that do background tests. They’re trying to find out every little thing about you.

    “It’s long days, getting up early, having meetings and then going to practice, then when you come back from practice scouts are grabbing you and trying to interview you. The tests are really, really crazy. I never thought that you’d have so many tests on your personality and whether or not you get down on yourself and how you react to different situations. But I guess it’s all part of the process.”

    Feedback from scouts: “I think a lot of people like my athleticism. Obviously, I need to grow in the weight room and get a little bit stronger and develop. And being consistent – talking to coach Mudd, he said work on being consistent in technique. He’s really, really big on technique.

    “I’ve gotten good feedback. It’s kind of been up and down. At times you win, at times you lose, but I think scouts here look at how you react when you lose and how you come back and how you take coaching.”

    Saturday’s game: “What they say is, the most-important part is the practices. The scouts put a lot into the practices: They’re watching you, they’re interviewing you. I think the biggest part of the all-star games is the interview process.

    “Me and (Thomas) both have been having a lot of interviews and that’s just as important as the game or the practices. I know a lot of the scouts have left, now Saturday is just a chance to compete against the guys on the other team.

    “I’m familiar with a lot of the guys, like Za’Darius Smith from Kentucky and I’m pretty cool with all the Louisville guys. It’ll be fun playing against them and to have a chance to put one more film together for scouts to look at.”

    Cam Thomas being on the other team: “Yeah man that’s crazy. It’s crazy that they put all those Louisville guys on the same team and then they split me and Cam up. But all is good.

    “I’ve gotten to hang around with Cam a little bit and there’s no animosity. When we went to the Shriner’s Hospital on Sunday me and Cam were together playing with kids. It’s cool to have two Western guys here.

    “It’s crazy here in the locker room. There’s guys here in the locker arguing about how good their team is. There’s North Dakota State guys here arguing how they can beat such-and-such. It’s cool to be able to branch out of your own locker room and see guys are still the same.

    “A lot of times you don’t know how guys from other schools are. I’m rooming with Bobby Hart from Florida State and he’s one of my good friends now. All the O-linemen from all the other schools get together. That’s been one of the cool things, meeting those guys from other schools and realizing they’re good people, too.”

Cam Thomas

    Practice this week: “Practice has been great. I’ve been getting a lot of feedback. Actually been talking to a lot of teams. Did an interview today from NFL Draft and they were telling me I’m one of the more highly-heralded players coming in and I didn’t disappoint.

    “Been getting good feedback and it’s been a good week. Made a lot of plays, so it’s been good.”

    The experience as a whole: “The week’s been ridiculous. There’s been a lot of learning and a lot of talking to different teams. They’re basically feeling you out and learning you inside and out. They basically know everything about you, so there’s no way around any of the questions you’re being asked.

    “Mike Singletary is the head coach for the East and he’s been hands-on with us and giving us great feedback and great insight about the NFL, what we’re about to experience on and off the field. He’s been giving us advice about life, trying to improve us being good men. He’s actually pretty funny. I know a lot of people see the intense side of him, but he’s actually a real jokester. He keeps a smile on his face around the guys and is real down to Earth.

    “The defensive coordinator, Kevin Ramsey, he’s been great. He’s with the DBs also and he’s just been touching up our skills and getting a feel for us and telling us what we need to expect in the NFL. It’s been great.”

    Specific feedback for your game: “As you know, I’ve been pressed the past two years. Had to play a lot of pedal-weave or off-man. I even told them that and they agreed with me that that was one area I needed to work on. I challenged myself to go to the right side and I’ve been all right side this past week playing off-man.

    “The first day was shaking a little rust off, but after that, I only got three passes caught on me all week. I broke up a couple passes and got an interception today. I’ve come into my own and got a lot of great feedback.”

    Saturday’s game: “That’s money time. I feel like I made some money this week in practice, but just to cap it off, need to play well in the game and get a win for the East because the West squad has won the last couple of matches. We’re competitive over here and we plan on winning.”

    Cam Clemmons being on the other team: “It’s funny because we’ve been teammates the past five years. It’ll be fun being on the other side. We’re joking when we’re in the hotel and when both teams are together. We talk to each other and encourage each other every day.

    “I told him, ‘When we’re on the field, you’re probably gonna see a lot of talking and a lot of joking.’ Hopefully I’ll be able to get a couple shots on him when he’s not looking.”