NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

A recent article describes the hard work put in by NCSA client, Tyler Murphy. Click on his picture to read the full article.

After he had worked out his biceps, chest and shoulders, Tyler Murphy’s face sank as he watched his trainer carry two 45-pound weight plates out the front door at Fitness City in Matawan — fearing what would come next.

During months of punishing workouts, Murphy, who will be a junior linebacker at Raritan High, had pushed his trainer’s Hyundai Elantra, had pounded truck tires with a sledgehammer and shadowboxed in his bedroom late into the night.

But nothing was as difficult as pushing a 140-pound sled through the uneven parking lot outside of his training center.

Murphy followed his trainer. He knew he would have to do this — and more — to make himself strong enough for Division 1 football. That was the reality for Murphy, and many other recruits, who have the desire but not the natural physical gifts.

At 6-0 and 225 pounds, Murphy’s height and lack of blazing speed — he runs the 40-yard dash in about 5.0 seconds, several tenths of a second slower than most top college linebackers — could deter him from drawing Division 1 interest.

But he is doing everything possible to change that.

Murphy’s parents have hired two personal trainers for their son. They pay for him to work out at Fitness City. They have shuttled him to camps and clinics as far away as Philadelphia, and shell out more money — the family declined to say how much they’ve spent to date — to have his recruiting profile created on the National Collegiate Scouting Association website, which assists athletes along the recruiting trail.

The family also keeps a red folder at their home in the West Keansburg section of Hazlet Township filled with recruiting letters, lists of potential colleges and camp information. On their computer they have spreadsheets filled with names, numbers and e-mail addresses for college coaches across the country.

“We’re not the wealthiest people in the world, but we’ll do whatever we can to support him,” said Murphy’s mother, Stacey. “We’ll give him anything he needs to achieve his goals.”

Murphy hopes to play Division 1 football, but he and his family are realistic. While his early list of the 23 colleges he’s targeting includes Division 1 Connecticut, it also includes Division 3 Montclair State and several schools in between.

Murphy yearns to finally stand in the spotlight.

When he played Pop Warner football, he played the positions no one else wanted to: Tackle. Guard. Center. He blocked for his teammates, then watched them celebrate touchdowns.

Last season, he played behind three seniors and only saw the field for special teams and at the end of blowouts. This year, he’s expected to be a starter, and already has added 45 pounds of muscle.

“I’ve always wanted to go to the NFL,” Murphy said. “I’ve seen the stats, and it doesn’t happen. I’m realistic with myself. I know I’m 6-foot. But I still have that dream of being that high school kid and going to college, and now everybody knows it.”

Tyler is a prime example of the hard work it can take in order to achieve your dreams.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 6th, 2009 at 4:48 pm and is filed under Athletic Scholarships, Camps and Combines, College Football, Parents. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.