Hello PrepsKC Community. My name is Camron Smith and I am the Head Football Coach of Washington High School. I also teach Journalism, and Digital Media, and have a Degree in Communications. It is with great enthusiasm that I enter into this realm and It is my goal to give you an in-depth look at the mind of a high school head football coach. There are so many topics to discuss so let’s get to it!
It’s been stated that a little over 7 percent of high school athletes go on to play college sports, and around 2 percent achieve the dream of making a DI athletic roster. Every time I’ve heard someone mention that stat, it’s been used in an effort to help athletes realize they need a back-up plan, when in reality we all need a backup plan for whatever route we choose in life. So it’s time someone put that statistic in perspective and informed the parents and athletes what is needed to become a part of the 7 percent and maybe even the 2 percent.
Everybody wants to go DI and a lot of guys that don’t, have stories filled with conspiracy theories of why they didn’t. For those looking to attain this goal in the future let’s look at some facts. It’s important that you know that college football programs have a template for player builds. Now it’s easy to be discouraged by looking at those aggregates and saying, “I simply just don’t match up”. But if you read my last article, 'The Most Sought After Trait', you would know that a dog mentality is the most important aggregate of them all. The following players didn't have the size, but their work ethic positioned them to be great.
Kyler Murray:
Aaron Donald:
Darren Sproles:
Checkout more of the NFL’s most undersized players in Sports Illustrated’s 'All Small' Team.
The reality is if you want it you can get it, but you have to put in the work. The problem is a lot of parents do not have the slightest idea of how to draw attention to their student-athlete. Also, athletes have this mythical belief that schools will automatically know about the great game they had last Friday night, when that couldn’t be further than the truth. If you are serious about continuing to play football at the next level you have got to do everything within your power to get eyes on you. Some of the top things you can do to help your case are:
Now that you have a plan in place, you need to understand that conditioning and your work in the weight room directly affects colleges' interest in you. Recruiters will assume that you don’t have a good work ethic if you do not perform well on tasks that require work to improve. You need to be working out 4-5 times a week. Certain things you should focus on is your 40-time, pro-agility time, bench max, squat max, vertical and broad jump. If you attend a combine and post top numbers in these categories, you are on the verge of writing your own ticket.
With all this being said I want to emphasize that DI is not your only opportunity to play high level football in college. If you are able to secure a collegiate education based upon your ability to perform as an athlete, then you should take the best opportunity that comes your way. Whether it be DI, DII, NAIA, or NJCAA. In order to qualify for collegiate eligibility you have to take care of things in the classroom. This is easily the most important part of the process, and EVERY SEMESTER MATTERS!
DI Requirements:
DII Requirements:
NAIA Requirements: Collegiate Academic Requirements
NJCAA Requirements: NJCAA faq
It is my hope that this article provided parents and student athletes with a roadmap to success. Nothing in this life is given. Everything is taken, so if you want it don’t wait for it to fall in your lap. GO GET IT!!!!
