NEW ORLEANS, LA – After a practice at the facility of the National Football League’s New Orleans Saints, the FAU Owls joined the rest of their traveling entourage and headed to the Rock ‘N Bowl, an old style dance hall and bowling alley.

The lanes, located on the second floor of an old building, were unscathed by the forces of Hurricane Katrina, while the rest of the establishments on the first floor in the same building were destroyed and still unopened.

As far as bowling, quarterback Rusty Smith rolled his fair share of strikes, but after non-competitive bowling became boring, many of the players took to showcasing their musical talents in an impromptu karaoke session.

Center Nick Paris kicked things off with a rousing rendition of the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way,” complete with a flurry of crowd-pleasing dance moves.

“That was great,” Smith said. “Hilarious.”

After that, several more players got up on stage and to show off their hip-hop skills. They attempted to get Coach Howard Schnellenberger to join them, but to no avail. Defensive back Wilfred Rivera led all Owls in vocal talents, and he remained on stage until the completion of the event.

When asked if he had any comment on the musical talent of his players, Schnellenberger said, “They shouldn’t quit their day jobs.”

Tigers ArriveWhile the Owls arrived on Monday and have already completed a practice on artificial turf similar to what they will be playing on in the Superdome on Friday, the Memphis Tigers just arrived today.

The majority of essential personnel arrived in New Orleans on Monday morning, but due to the size of the traveling party and the limited space on the team charter, FAU had to come in two groups. On the second plane that arrived in the early evening were media, coaches’ families, and injured and special teams players.

Memphis will have their first practice Wednesday, while the Owls already had their second practice this afternoon.

Owls HeadquartersThe New Orleans Sheraton on Canal Street is the official Owls headquarters for this week’s game and preparation. The team has taken over the lobby with a large banner with the Owls logo hanging above the front desk. The Owls have made the second floor meeting rooms their temporary locker room. It is located just a few blocks from Bourbon Street in one direction and the Mississippi River in the other, in the heart of the city.

Read more New Orleans Bowl Game coverage.