One Bulldog looks to the NFL as another Dog changes colors

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina - This past Saturday at Tropicana Field was, in Christian Thompson's words, a "chill day."

The South Carolina State strong safety was excited about the opportunity to increase his NFL draft stock with a strong performance in the East-West Shrine Game. As the game progressed, however, it became clear to Thompson the chance to display his hard-hitting talents before a national television audience would be few and far between.

In the end, Thompson said it was all about staying healthy and enjoying the camaraderie.

"We wanted to win," he said. "Everybody wanted to win. But at the same time, it was an All-Star Game. We were just enjoying the moment. We weren't really focused on ‘we've got to beat them' and this and that. We were just focused on having a good time and just playing with players we've never played with but that we watched on TV."

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