Every kid that has ever tossed around a football in the backyard has at one time or another fantasized about being an NFL football player, but in reality the path to become an NFL football player is an arduous process with more than a little luck involved. The National Football League only selects a few hundred players annually in their draft, and even among those players fortunate enough to be chosen the journey to make the opening day roster is fierce. To become an NFL football player requires a commitment of time, energy and dedication that is all encompassing, and those unable to meet the necessary rigors have no chance of ever making it to the NFL as a player.
The road to become an NFL football player usually begins at and early age and can easily last a decade to reach the final goal. A high school football player that works hard in practice and in games may make a name for themselves locally and garner the attention of college recruiting scouts, who may extend a scholarship offer to a university. If no offers of a scholarship come, a football player may still make a college football team as a walk-on, but the journey to become an NFL football player is less likely for a walk on unless they possess outstanding football skills that have been somehow overlooked. Once at college, a football player has 4 years usually in which to gain size, speed and strength that will hopefully draw the interest of NFL scouts, and result in a player being selected in the NFL draft.
Every spring, the National Football League holds a combine at which players desiring to become an NFL football player are presented with the opportunity to showcase their individual talents. At the event, football players are examined and scrutinized closely and rated not only in accordance with their physical talents but are measured for intelligence and personality as well. An individual seeking to become an NFL football player will be interviewed in a one on one setting with NFL team representatives that may be interested in selecting them in the NFL draft. While the events incurring at the combine may seem routine, they can either aid or be detrimental in the process to become an NFL player as an individual player’s desirability can rise of fall dramatically based upon their performance.
If a football player is selected in the NFL draft they will be afforded an opportunity to compete in training camp to secure a position with an NFL team. If a player is not selected, they may still be able to become an NFL football player by receiving an invitation to training camp as a free agent, and hopefully impressing the coaching staff. Even for those who are “cut” during training camp there is still hope to become an NFL football player by being retained on a team’s practice squad, or being picked up by another NFL team after their release from the original team.
