STANFORD, Calif. -- For the past few years, they've been college football stars. Now, they hope to become NFL prospects.

For 90 seniors playing in Saturday's East-West Shrine Bowl, this is a transition period highlighted by a hectic week of psychological tests and interviews with pro scouts.

The participants in the 75th Shrine game, which benefits Shriners hospitals across North America, have faced plenty of pressure off the field as they've prepared for the all-star game.

"I could have never imagined it would be like this. With the tests and the interviews, it really gets your blood going," Ohio State cornerback Ahmed Plummer said.

Plummer and other prospective NFL draft choices have been mobbed by scouts and subjected to a series of psychological tests. Among the sample questions: "Do you want to be a nurse?" and "Are you afraid of deep water?"

"Off the field is hectic. As soon as you try to go to lunch, you're surrounded," said California cornerback Deltha O'Neal, who said he answered "no" to the nurse and deep water questions. "It's a job interview. I've been on my best behavior."

Michigan quarterback Tom Brady said that nothing this week -- on or off the field -- is as important as the past season in determining a player's future.

"Really, what you did all season means an awful lot. This week, everything is pretty remedial as far as what you can do on the field," he said. "Being out here, there's certainly a lot of scouts, maybe 200-300 scouts. But most of us are from big schools, where you play in front of 70,000-80,000 fans all the time, so it's not that much different."

Arizona State coach Bruce Snyder, who will be head coach of the West team, agreed that all the interviews and psychological tests are less important in judging a prospective pro than that player's performance in games.

"I think playing the game is more significant," Snyder said. "If it ever stops being that way, then things are out of whack."

Some of the players accepted invitations to the Shrine Bowl because of the chance to get more national exposure and a taste of what the NFL scouting combine will be like. Others wanted the chance to support a charity that aids sick or injured children.

No one is doing it for the money. Unlike some other college all-star games, the Shrine Bowl does not pay its players.

Of course, the psychological tests covered that subject, too. Brady said one of his favorite questions was: "If you found a wallet filled with money, would you return it?"

"Well, I guess it pretty much depends on how hurting you are for money that day," he said with a laugh.