Metaphorically speaking, the 2019 football season can be viewed as a lengthy audition for an NFL hopeful. An all-star showcase like this past Saturday's 2020 East-West Shrine Bowl can be viewed as a dress rehearsal.

Rodney Clemons treated the week-long experience as if it was the big show.

SMU's longtime safety has turned his focus on finding a home in professional football, and participating in the Shrine Bowl was a nice first step to the ultimate task at hand. He was on the winning East Team, which defeated the West Team, 31-27, Saturday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.

"It's been a great experience," Clemons said. "Not only have I got to compete against players from all across the country, but I got the chance to make friends with guys from all over.

"Over the course of this past week of hanging out with these guys, we clicked right off the bat, and I felt like I've known them for much longer than a week, maybe even years."

The Shrine Bowl was another notch on his football belt. Add the career stories from SMU that Clemons brings to the table, and it makes for a solid resume and a shot to play on Sundays, at rock bottom.

The 6-0, 205-pound defensive back, who has four tackles in the Shrine Bowl, played 54 games with the Mustangs. He started 50 of the 54. In 2019, Clemons was a senior captain who recorded 78 tackles, four interceptions and 13 pass deflections. He also was chosen to wear the coveted No. 23 jersey, once worn by SMU pioneer Jerry LeVias.

Clemons' story is cooler to process in that entering his senior year at Taylor High School in Katy, Texas, he didn't play a down of high school football. He was a basketball player until he was talked in to playing football in his final year.

To go from a kid with hoop dreams to a man chasing NFL dreams has been something Clemons can now look back on. Playing in the Shrine Bowl wasn't even thought to be a glimmer of hope five years ago.

But last week, Clemons was one of the guys. He not only competed but also received a lot of good feedback from those who have played the game at the highest level. In addition to learning a new playbook in a three-day span, Clemons said he also had the chance to speak with a rep from almost every NFL team in attendance.

"This is what you want," Clemons said, "to be treated like a professional and to compete against the best of the best and see how you stack up."

The next step for Clemons could be preparation for the NFL Scouting Combine, which takes place next month in Indianapolis. From there, the 2020 NFL Draft is April 23-25 in Paradise, Nevada.

Hearing his name called as a draft pick would be a dream come true for Clemons. And playing in the Shrine Bowl would make for a nice prologue to a personal book that continues to add chapters.

"It's been great," he said of last week's experience. "I've had the opportunity to compete with some great competition from players all across the country, from conferences all across the country. Mainly I've made friends that I hope the relationship will last outside of last week."