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SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Senior wide receiver Ramses Barden will be Cal Poly’s first representative in the Senior Bowl, scheduled for Saturday in Mobile, Alabama.

Barden, who in October had accepted an invitation to play in the 84th East-West Shrine Game on Jan. 17 in Houston, Tex., instead has opted for the 2009 Under Armour Senior Bowl, which will kick off at 4 p.m. PST in Ladd-Peebles Stadium. NFL Network will televise the game nationally.

Four former Mustangs have played in the East-West Shrine Game -- center/linebacker Stan Sheriff (1954), linebacker Jordan Beck (2005), defensive end Chris Gocong (2006) and linebacker Kyle Shotwell (2007). Gocong currently plays for the Philadelphia Eagles in the National Football League.

Barden will play for the North squad, which will be coached by the coaching staff of the Cincinnati Bengals. Jacksonville Jaguars coaches will mentor the South squad.

The Senior Bowl is the nation’s most unique football game and football’s premier pre-draft event, annually featuring the country’s best senior collegiate football stars and top NFL draft prospects on teams representing the North and South which are coached by the entire coaching staffs from two National Football League teams.

Senior Bowl practices are also attended by over 800 general managers, head coaches, assistant coaches, scouts and other front office personnel from the 32 National Football League teams, making Mobile and the Senior Bowl the week-long host to a one-of-a-kind NFL Coaches Convention.

Most players arrived Saturday and underwent physicals, took part in NFL testing, received their Under Armour jerseys and apparel and met with their respective head coaches Sunday.  The week kicked off Monday morning with the National Scouting Weigh-In at the Mobile Convention Center.

Following the weigh-in, the players hit the practice field for the first time with the South squad working out in Fairhope Municipal Stadium and the North team conducting practice at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

Barden (6-6, 227, Altadena, Calif./Flintridge Prep HS) has been named to the American Football Coaches Association’s Football Championship Subdivision All-America Team, the Walter Camp Football Foundation FCS All-America Team, the Associated Press FCS All-America First Team and The Sports Network FCS All-America First Team, all for the second year in a row.

He finished fourth in balloting for the 22nd Walter Payton Award, presented annually by The Sports Network to the top offensive player in the NCAA’s FCS, and currently is training at Elite Athletics with Travelle Gaines and his staff in Westlake Village with a number of other NFL prospects from across the country.

Barden completed his Cal Poly career with 206 catches for 4,203 yards and 50 touchdowns, all school records. He also is in the NCAA record book for most consecutive games with a touchdown catch, both in the FCS and all-time (20) as well as most career games with a touchdown catch in the FCS and all-time (32). His 50 career scoring receptions is No. 13 all-time as well.

Jerry Rice set the former FCS marks of touchdown catches in consecutive games (17) and career games with a touchdown catch (26) while at Mississippi Valley State from 1981-84. Larry Fitzgerald of Pittsburgh held the all-time NCAA mark for most consecutive games with a touchdown catch (18) and Ryan Yarborough of Wyoming held the all-time NCAA mark for career games with a touchdown catch (27).

Barden tied the all-time NCAA record for consecutive games in a season with a touchdown catch (11) set by Randy Moss of Marshall in 1996.

This season, Barden caught 67 passes (No. 2 all-time at Cal Poly) for 1,257 yards (No. 3) and 18 touchdowns (tying his own school record). He caught a pass in 44 of 46 games played as a Mustang and posted 16 career 100-yard receiving games, both school records.

He caught at least one touchdown catch in each of Cal Poly's 11 games this season, tying an NCAA mark for consecutive touchdown catches in a single season set by Randy Moss.

Barden finished first in the conference in receiving yards per game (114.3) and scoring (9.8) and was second in receptions per contest (6.1). Among NCAA FCS players, he was No. 2 in receiving yards per game, No. 8 in scoring and No. 20 in receptions per contest.

Barden set a career high with 12 catches against Southern Utah last October while his career high for receiving yards in a game is 268 against Idaho State a year ago.

Barden was named offensive player of the year in the Great West for the second straight year and was named to the All-Great West first team four times.

Tickets for the 2009 Under Armour Senior Bowl are currently available for purchase online at www.seniorbowl.com or by calling (251) 432-4109.