Walking On – Great Movie, Bad Story
June 26th, 2008 - byEvery year on the center stage of collegiate sports, we hear the story, often told by television announcers, of the touching tale of the courageous walk on. Visions of Rudy instantly come to the forefront as the journey of the underdog warrior starts to unfold. “He was never recruited out of high school by any of the major programs . . .” says the announcer during his crescendo to the game breaking play. “He has waited his whole life for this moment, battling disappointment after rejection.” It is heartwarming. Life is fair again. That could have been me.
There are few stories that compare in nature. There are fewer that compare in occurrence. The closest relative to Rudy would be the 71 year old retired truck driver who on his last few dollars cashed in on millions playing the random pick’m 
game at the local gas station. The only difference is, that story happens more frequently!
For the serious competitor, walking on to a collegiate athletic team can be compared to earning a medical degree and then working as a custodian. You both work in a hospital but unlike all of your classmates, you’re not actually doing what you trained so hard to do for so long. Most collegiate athletes have played their sport since before they could remember, years and years, always starting, usually better and often in the spotlight. To cash in a lifetime of hard work and natural talent for a dream that was forged from within a child’s perspective seems foolish.
Take football for example. There are over 800 colleges that offer football as a varsity sport. Most sports fans in this country can name up to fifty. In baseball there are over 1000 colleges that offer the sport. How many can you name? There are numerous opportunities to explore if the desire to actually play exceeds common ignorance and childhood fantasies.
Walk-ons, just like custodians in hospitals, have vastly different experiences than the scholarship players. First, the ceremonial National Letter of Intent signing day – that does not happen. Next, the preferential class scheduling – no. The second, third, or fourth pair of coaches’ eyes watching you to make sure that you’re taken care of – not so much. You are a necessary tool to help the real players practice, rarely taken serious, rarely awarded a scholarship and sparingly shown respect. Rudy was a great film but I hope it is not your story. Below is a short video of how USC treats its potential walk ons. There are a few questionable language choices in this clip so do not watch if you will be offended. USC Walk On Clip
In summary, if you work your entire life to achieve the goal of becoming a college athlete, find a place where you are wanted. Find a school where you will play and make an impact. Go somewhere that will set you up to have a great experience while you earn your degree, an environment that will help provide you with teammates for life. Step outside of your comfort zone and learn all you can of what is out there. You just might find something that is priceless.
