what can I do?

Question
hey! my name is blake and i used to play football for a school in ohio, but then i had to move and change schools but my school doesnt have football. my question is what can i do to get ready to walk on to a college football program?

Answer
Blake -

Well, you have played football in the past, so I think you probably know what you need to do.. right?  Nothing really changes at the next level besides the incredible amount of talent that each player has.  That is the big thing. Lifting properly is lifting properly, no matter where you do it. Doing correct drills is doing correct drills. Take the best player in every county in the state, and put those guys on the same roster.  That is what a college team is.  Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do for that.  Either a player is talented enough to play in college, or not.  So that is #1.. Are you that talented?  Would you have considered yourself the BEST player at your old school BY FAR?  The best player in your ENTIRE AREA? Those are the players college coaches want and need.

If you find yourself maybe close, but needing a little work (which all players do no matter how talented they are) then get to the basics.  SPEED, STRENGTH, and KNOWLEDGE.  To start, you need to pick a position and start working on what that position calls for.  This is very important.  A QB will train very differently than a defensive end.  Right?  OK so that is a start.  Now once you do that, do your research on what players in college at that position are like.  How big, strong, fast??? Can you be those things if you worked your butt off?  If you are 5'8" 170lbs, I hate to say it but you wont be a college linemen.  It just isn't going to happen.  If you are that size, and run a 5.0 40 yard dash, you wont be a runningback, WR, QB, or DB.  So where do you fit in realistically?  The answer is in the research. So do the research.  DO the math (so to speak).  And once you know, get to work.  Hit the weight room HARD!  Do the power lifts.. If you don't know them, get with a coach or a trainer and get a program.  Check online - there are tons of them out there.  Get on a serious speed training program.  You can NEVER be fast enough.  There is always someone faster, and in a lot of cases, there is an entire team of faster people. Start learning the position as well.  What drills do they do?  What are their responsibilities?  How can you train for those?  You have played.. what did you do in practice?  Get back to doing those things.

This isn't an easy thing at all.  Even for a guy who is playing every year, and beating everyone lined up against him.  So you can see how hard it will be for you, especially as a walk on.  But it has happened before, and it will happen again.. So why not you right?  But that is the easy part (saying it).. Now is the hard part - DOING IT.. Start today!  Do your homework.. Start your training.. And get it done!

Best wishes and good luck

Coach Perl