SMU defensive linemen Elijah Roberts and Jared Harrison-Hunte get a chance to be teammates one more time this week at the East-West Shrine Bowl.

The pair were teammates at Miami for three seasons and then reunited this past year with the Mustangs. They were both selected for the Shrine Bowl, being played for the 100th time on Thursday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

"It's crazy. I've known Elijah going on four years now," Harrison-Hunte said of Roberts. "I've watched him grow into the kind of D-lineman he is today. It makes me happy seeing someone that I've known for a long time, four years, be selected in the same game as I am. It's very exciting."

Neither got the chance to show their full potential while at Miami, especially Roberts who only made one start in three seasons. He started all 27 games he played in two seasons with the Mustangs. 

In those two years, Roberts became one of the most effective pass rushers in the country. He was a two-time all-conference selection and was named an All-American.

"SMU, I love that program, man," Roberts said. "Just them allowing me to be me. … SMU just has so many great people and so many great men who could lead young men into the right path, who trust you. There's a lot of trust in that building and that's what helped me. They knew I was a mature guy who could handle myself and they just let me be me."

Harrison-Hunte began his college career in 2019 with the Hurricanes. He played in 42 games with 22 starts in five seasons at Miami, but had career highs in solo tackles (18), total tackles (42), tackles for loss (8.5) and sacks (6.5) this past season. He also collected his first career interception.

That, along with the relationships he built, makes SMU a special place even in such a short time.

"I've only been at SMU for like six months, but it feels like I've been here for so long," Harrison-Hunte said. "The people that I've met there in just a short amount of time, the bond that I created with coaches, with trainers, strength staff, like the whole program … I feel like I'm close to them in a matter of six months. I want to put on a show for them. I'm going to try my best and give it my all. I'm going to put on a show for them, I'm going to show out for SMU."

They were effective this season for the Mustangs because they were able to do it all on the field. That's what they each want to show this week.

Roberts finished with 23.5 tackles for loss and 17.5 sacks out of 72 total tackles in his two seasons at SMU.

"There might be a question of, 'Is he an edge? Is he an interior guy?'" Roberts said. "I can play both. I can play edge at a very high level, first through fourth down. I can play interior at a very high level, first through fourth down. That's what I want to show."

It's similar for Harrison-Hunte who doesn't want to be seen as a one-demensional lineman.

"I feel like I can rush the passer and stop the run, but I want to show that I can be consistent and be in there every play," Harrison-Hunte said. "In football, sometimes it's not going to always work out, but I want to show at least that like 90% of the time I'm going to stop the run, 90% of the time I'm going to put pressure on that quarterback." 

As much as the week of practices and the game are about what happens on the field, Harrison-Hunte wants to make sure teams get to know what type of person he is off the field. 

A self-proclaimed animal lover, Harrison-Hunte has two dogs and has a lighter side than the relentless defender who wreaks havoc for the offensive linemen, quarterbacks and running backs who he lines up across from.

"Jared is a good dude," Roberts said. "I don't think people know that because you probably see him on the field mad and stuff like that, but he's a great dude."

The pair are following in the footsteps of Jordan Miller, who began his career at Miami, finished at SMU and played in last year's Shrine Bowl. Miller went undrafted, but signed as a free agent and spent the season on the Denver Broncos practice squad.

Miller's advice to them was to be themselves, but he also warned them about the grind of the week.

"He told me about the process," Harrison-Hunte said. "He told me this was probably going to be the longest week of my life. I'm ready for it all. It's what I signed up for."

They're also trying to follow Elijah Chatman, who also went undrafted, but signed with the New York Giants, made the opening day roster and ended up starting three games this past season.

"It's kind of great, if you think about it, being able to be at the forefront in the beginning," Roberts said. "E Chat was the first one, I can be the second one. Just having guys go into SMU … and are having success in the NFL now."

Neither took much, if any, time off after the season ended in the College Football Playoff at Penn State. This is the stretch run of achieving what they've been dreaming about and working towards for all these years.

"I've been training for four weeks now," Roberts said. "I feel like I definitely got a little faster, should have a good test and, hopefully, I end up getting that Combine (invitation) after this and then we'll see what happens. I've been training pretty hard."

That training paid off. Roberts received his official NFL Combine invitation on Monday. 

The journey brought the two together. They know where they came from, but the focus is on where they are going. That's what this week has been about.

"We try not to focus on too much of (the past) and focus on our future," Harrison-Hunte said. "What we do now is going to help us in the future."