Round one of Tim Thompson’s interviewing process for his possible future job is complete.

The former Valdosta State defensive end just completed a trip to the Cactus Bowl in Kingsland, Tex. that allowed him to put on a display for professional scouts.

Even though his East squad lost 49-28 to the West, Thompson had fun during the game and came away with impressive stats.

“I know the East was out there just having fun and trying to make the best of it,” Thompson said. “It was pretty good.”

Playing against two All-American tackles on the West’s offensive line, Thompson recorded seven tackles in the Division II All-star game.

With only three tackles playing for the East, Thompson had ample opportunity to perform during the game.

The players were joking and having fun during the game that served as an end to a busy week.

“When we were on the field, we were joking with the West,” Thompson said. “We were just out there trying to have fun showing off our skills.”

Leading up to the game the players had four days of two-a-day practice sessions and had to perform for professional scouts.

“The scouts were watching practice and different drills,” Thompson said. “And watching us run the 40 times and different agility stuff.’ Several teams including the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have shown interest in Thompson at some point during his senior season.

With many professional teams switching to a three-four defense with three lineman and four linebackers due to speedsters at quarterback such as Michael Vick and Vince Young, Thompson said that it will help his chances.

“I feel it can help me because I have decent speed and decent size to keep containment,” Thompson said. “Especially at linebacker.”

When the players weren’t attempting to woo the scouts, they were meeting plenty of new people, both on the field and in the community.

“The locals were real nice,” Thompson said. “Some took a couple players home and fed us and showed us a good time watching bowl games and having fun.” To try and impress people further for an upcoming gig in the NFL, Thompson will continue to work on his speed and wait to hear from an invite to the NFL Combine.

As for the first step in the interview process, Thompson left with a satisfied performance.

“It was pretty good. I enjoyed myself,” Thompson said. “I got to meet new people, and show a little bit in front of the scouts.”