Hastings' Ali Marpet competing against nation's best

Ali Marpet believed he could compete against the nation's best, but this week was different. He finally had to prove it.

Marpet, a 6-foot-3, 307-pound offensive lineman from tiny Hobart College, has found his proving ground in Mobile, Alabama. He's there for the Senior Bowl, an all-star game for NFL Draft prospects, which will be broadcast at 4 p.m. Saturday on the NFL Network.

Despite his humble background, the former Hastings star — now more than 70 pounds heavier than he was as a high school senior — has blossomed into a serious draft prospect. Already, Marpet became the first Hobart player to earn a Senior Bowl invitation in program history.

"Going in, you never know for sure," he said. "I was confident I was going to be able to play with these guys, but coming through and doing it is something else. It's a confidence booster to show you can do it."

Marpet's success during this week's practices has attracted national media attention. He was a Division III All-American left tackle at Hobart, but projects as an interior linemen in the pros. This week's practices have already given him a chance to showcase himself; Saturday afternoon is the final test.

"I hope to show scouts that I'm able to play against this level of competition in a game situation," Marpet said. "They'll evaluate me and I'm hoping this will be a little more of a chance to put a grade on me. It's hard for them to put a grade on me against D-III competition."

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Marpet, who graduated Hastings in 2011, said the speed of practice was his biggest adjustment.

"I'm making mistakes, but they're correctable mistakes," he said. "The reality is, it's positive because I'm able to get positive feedback, which has been great."