MOBILE, Alabama — As the week courses on and helmets collide on the field in practice, coaches are generating game plans and players are hustling for a sliver of spotlight as the big game looms closer.

The Senior Bowl, set for Saturday at 3 p.m. at Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium, is traditionally a stage for NFL hopefuls to bolster their draft potential while being coached by an entire NFL staff. This year, the North team is led by Coach Leslie Frazier and his Vikings crew while the South squad is playing for Washington Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan and his staff.

Players practiced in full pads for the first time Tuesday, with the North team taking the field for an hour and a half in the morning and the South squad practicing in the afternoon. With several potential early-round draft picks participating in the senior showcase, Alabama linebacker Courtney Upshaw hopes to stand out in a city that typically celebrates athletes from the state’s flagship university.

“I’ve got a few things in my arsenal that I haven’t really gotten a chance to show everybody. So, hopefully in the game, I can show everybody,” Upshaw said at a press conference Wednesday. “This is a job opportunity. With me, I realize that I have to keep pushing. After the game, Sunday, I leave for Arizona. So, I’m on the ground. I’m working.”

The Eufala native is projected as a top-15 pick for the NFL draft, standing at 6-foot-2  and weighing 265 pounds. Upshaw is on the South roster with three other seniors from Alabama, including defensive back DeQuan Menzie.

While Upshaw is sharing the field with teammates, Michigan defensive tackle Mike Martin is working with a former rival and fellow “Mike.” Martin and Ohio State center Mike Brewster will step into the arena Saturday as teammates instead of opponents on the North squad.

“It’s been a four-year battle with me and him from freshman year,” Martin said. “It’s been great competition from the both of us. That’s all you can ask for, to compete with the best.”

Martin stacks up at 6-foot-2, carrying around 300 pounds on a thick frame. Having two successful wrestling seasons during his junior year, Martin said he still “rolls around the mat” during his training.

When asked how he felt about the praise for SEC players, the Big 10 alum said he did not mind.

“You know, I like to hear that because being told that someone is better than me, that’s what fuels my fire,” Martin said. “I’m excited on Saturday to play against the South team and for everyone on our squad to really showcase their talent.”

As of Wednesday, only 2,500 tickets were still available for Saturday’s game. All $24 sideline and general admission endzone tickets have been sold, Senior Bowl officials announced earlier this week. Game officials are expecting a sellout.

“We’ve seen a dramatic increase in ticket sales this week,” sales director Sonya Wakefield said in a release.