CHARLESTON, W.Va. –University of Charleston's John Cominsky enters the spotlight this Saturday at the Reese's Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., looking to make sure all 32 teams remember his name when April's NFL Draft rolls around.
 
Cominsky, the MEC Defensive Player of the Year, has been physically preparing since the Golden Eagle season wrapped up in November once learning of his invite to the prestigious game.  He recently spent some time in Naples, Fla. working on his technique with former All-Pro, Bryan Cox, knowing that going against FBS DI lineman will be a lot different from his days spent at UC.  
 
Cominsky's North squad will be coached by the Oakland Raiders staff led by Jon Gruden.  He is in rare company in Mobile, as just three players in total represent all of NCAA Division II, becoming the first player in both Golden Eagle and Mountain East Conference history to showcase their talent at the Reese's Senior Bowl.  Kickoff is set for 2:30 pm ET from Ladd-Peebles Stadium and will be broadcast on the NFL Network.
 
The recent Golden Eagle graduate has had a whirlwind week leading up to Saturday's Senior Bowl, filled with podcasts, interviews, weigh-ins, meetings with NFL teams, and keeping a player journal that has been featured on www.seniorbowl.com.  Cominsky hasn't shied away from the big stage and teams have taken notice, drawing significant interest from the Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons and the Detroit Lions after the first few days of practice.  Senior Bowl director, Jim Nagy, publicly tagged Cominsky as a sleeper on the NFL Network entering Saturday's game.  
 
All along, Cominsky has said he belongs there regardless of the path that he has taken, a high school read-option QB that wasn't highly recruited even at the DII level.  UC coaches didn't know what they had when he arrived on campus, listing four different positions, one of which wasn't defensive lineman.  His six-foot-five frame continued to fill out over his five years in Charleston, going from 220 pounds as a freshman to playing at 285 as a fifth-year senior.  As he got bigger and stronger, his speed and athleticism didn't suffer.  His position coach, Zack Santolla, knew he had something special entering Cominsky's junior season as NFL scouts started to ask more questions and request film of Charleston's No. 5.  
 
"John is a guy that bought in to developing himself into a powerful and dominate football player; everything he is gaining has come from hard work and being dedicated to being the best version of himself. As a coach that spent three seasons with him, I enjoyed coming to work every day and working with him, because I knew he was going to work extremely hard without me having to push him. His work ethic is contagious, and I know my younger guys thrived from him being the leader of group as well as a Team Captain.", said Santolla.  "I've watched the majority of his Senior Bowl practice this week and he and I have talked a little bit as well; He has represented himself really well thus far. I'm excited for Saturday, I know he will play with a really high motor and he will constantly be around the ball. I'm excited to see him in full speed situations and letting it loose. It has been a long time coming to see him lined up with the Power 5 guys in front of every NFL team, I'm excited for him."
 
 
The Barberton, Ohio native emerged as a disruptive force on the defensive front his junior season with 23 of his 73 total tackles going for loss (2^ndin NCAA DII), including six and a half sacks which earned him All-MEC First Team, putting the NFL scouts on alert.  His stats dipped as a senior as teams began to throw double and triple-teams his way or just flat out didn't run it to his side to avoid taking losses but that didn't stop the senior, going on to claim All-MEC All-Region, and D2 Football First Team All-American honors.