As a high school student I really did not focus on the recruiting process until after my senior football season was over. Up until that point, I just wanted to focus on the season at hand and help my team succeed. However this "focus" put me in danger of falling behind others in the recruiting process. I made the common mistake of thinking that I was a good player on a very good team, so the right college would find me to play for them. I was sure that my awards and recognitions would end up in the hands of college coaches on their own, and that they would contact me. Luckily, my father had been through the recruiting process himself and was able to educate me about the recruiting basics and give me a nudge in the right direction on what I needed to do to get noticed. He had transferred as a student-athlete and was determined not to let the same thing happen to me. We tried to get my name out as many ways possible. I pestered my high school coach to talk to his connections, sent videos out to numerous schools, and signed on with an (at the time) up and coming recruiting company in NCSA. It was only until I initiated contact with programs that the phone calls from coaches came pouring in. Even though I had sent film out to around 50 colleges and my coach had done what he could, it was really NCSA that got my name out there and increased my opportunities to get noticed.
Finally getting my name out there, I received interest from Division I schools, but as a defensive back or receiver. In my heart I knew I wanted three qualities in a program; to play quarterback, a program who had proven they could win, and a chance to play early. I took visits to several schools at the Division II and III level eventually narrowing my choice to three schools. The first was a Division II program who offered me a full scholarship and a chance to play, but did not have a great track record for success. The second was a very successful Division III program at which I felt I could start by my junior year, but I wasn't sure I would help them immediately. The third school was another Division III program who ran an offense perfectly suited to my needs, was close enough to home, and had a strong academic reputation. This program also had a strong reputation for success and I felt I could contribute early. .The third choice, Augustana College, ended up being the right fit for me. I had a very successful career at Augustana and would not have changed my decision for anything.
I was able to accomplish all my goals in the recruiting process because I was able to get my name out there to a number of schools, eventually finding the one that best suited my needs. It wasn't an easy process, but it definitely helped having people who had been through it before help me throughout my recruitment. I was able to take their experience in the recruiting process and seek out schools that I was interested in, eventually selecting a school that fit all my needs.
Athletics has been a large part of my life for a long time.I have played organized sports since I was five.. I played football for twelve years and coached it for three years, and it is the ultimate test.The game teaches basic life principles.People working together. Trust. Accepting people who are different than yourself.All of these are basic tenets of football and of life.It teaches you responsibility, time management,and bonding.The most important thing it teaches you though is hard work.To be successful, you have to put the effort in.Some people who are born with natural ability ultimately fail because they are simply outworked by those with less talent.To me,sports is more than a metaphor of life, it is life. It teaches real, meaningful, lessons that directly affect our actions the rest of our lives.
