Dillon Gabriel explains significance of wearing three schools on his helmet at Senior Bowl

One of the unmistakable looks at this year’s Senior Bowl is being sported by former Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel. He has three different programs represented on his helmet.

Along with his final stop in college at Oregon, Gabriel is representing previous stops at both Oklahoma and UCF. He’s had a long ride through the college ranks.

“I think within my journey I’ve been at three great spots and just take pride and value protecting your pick and who you choose to be around,” Gabriel explained on ESPNU on Thursday afternoon. “If you look at those three spots I’ve continued to create value and impact that place as best I can, and I think you see that.”

Gabriel spent the first three years of his career at UCF, where he had a considerable impact. He had two seasons with more than 3,500 passing yards before a quieter year impacted by injury in his third go-round. Then he headed to Oklahoma, where he spent two seasons. He threw for more than 3,000 yards in both seasons there. Finally, it was off to Oregon.

That all three are represented as he goes through the Senior Bowl workouts is only fair. Not only have all three schools been good to Dillon Gabriel, he’s been good to all three schools.

“That’s not just me trying to be self-promoting, but you ask anyone I was around there and still maintaining great relationships,” Gabriel said. “I’d be a fool not to celebrate those three spots. They mean a lot to me and are a huge part of me being me.”

Gabriel will have to overcome his size at the NFL level; it’s one of the reasons he’s not necessarily viewed as a first-round pick despite a remarkably productive college career. But Gabriel is doing a nice job making a name for himself at the Senior Bowl so far. He’s enjoying the process, too.

“Shoot, it’s the same as practice,” he said. “There’s some ups, there’s some downs. But you’ve got to continue to learn, so come on gameday you can go executed at a high level. But just fun to run around making some throws that you love and some things you want back. But it’s part of football, so just having the right mindset through that as well.”

Gabriel will get a chance to showcase his skills for scouts with the National Team in the Senior Bowl on Saturday. The game kicks off at 2:30 p.m. ET on the NFL Network.