Recruiting can be the most challenging, yet exciting, time consuming, yet ego boosting, frustrating yet rewarding challenges that an athlete and that athlete’s family will face. In the end, when approached and tackled properly, it will all pay off. The key is finding the correct fit for every athlete. And that is not an easy challenge. Over the years I have given many speeches and written many blogs about the recruitment of kickers, punters, and long snappers. The goal each time to is to educate athletes and their families one step at time. Here is one more piece of that educational process.
D1 Colleges Will Recruit You. When Alabama, Ohio State, UCLA, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, etc. need to recruit a specialist, they will find the very best one and usually have them committed within days. Everyone wants to go to these schools and would jump on that opportunity. They also have a huge recruiting budget, the best resources, and the ultimate product to sell. Here is how the conversation goes when a coach from a D1 school calls me, Chris: “I need a list of the best kickers /punters in the nation.” Me: “Sure we have Kicker A ranked #1, Kicker B ranked #2, Kicker C Ranked #3 and so on.” Within hours those athletes are in contact with the coach. Within days the coach has visited the school and done character and academic background checks. Within weeks the athlete and the family are on campus visiting. Sign, sealed, delivered.
Your job when if comes to D1 programs:
Get exposure. Go to Chris Sailer Kicking Camps and get nationally ranked. We are the most trusted specialist resource in the world for college coaches. Make sure to keep your rank current. An evaluation and ranking over time holds much more weight than a single evaluation 1 or 2 years ago. Keep your character intact. Be aware that a college coach will visit with anyone and everyone to make sure that you are a great fit for that program in every way. Get your grades and test scores as high as absolutely possible. Get to college camps in between your junior and senior seasons. This is when most college coaches will ultimately pull the trigger. If you are good enough, Chris Sailer Kicking will get you the exposure to get signed by a D1 program. D1 programs will find and sign the very best. The best programs get the best specialists. The next best programs get the next best specialists. And so on….
D2, D3, NAIA, etc. need you to recruit them. When Azusa Pacific, Colgate, William & Mary, Wesleyan, Nicholls State etc. need to recruit a specialist, they wait to see who the D1 programs are not able to sign and try to land some of the leftover pieces. Not everyone wants to go to these schools, so they aren’t able to be as selective. They do not have a huge recruiting budget, the same resources, nor the ultimate product to sell. Here is how the conversation goes when a coach from a D3 school calls me, Chris: “I recently got some film from Kicker A. He also recently visited the school and has been showing great interest in our program. What do you think Chris?” Me: “Kicker A is a great kicker. He has been to several camps over the years and has really impressed us. He continues to get better and stronger each time that we see him. He shows great D3 talent and potential.” Over the course of the next several months, depending on the time of this call a relationship between coach and player is formed. Perhaps after that player doesn’t get any D1 offers, he may sign with the program. The financials take much longer to figure out at this level. However, there are many great financial packages available.
You job when it come to D2 & D3 programs:
Get exposure (The same holds true for everything said above). You need to see the big picture. Everyone is not a D1 scholarship kicker or punter. In fact, very few are. Most will fall into this category. There are 700+ Universities and Colleges that offer football. There is a great fit out there for you. In fact, there are most likely several. But YOU have to find them. YOU have to recruit them. Do not wait for them to come calling you. Make calls, send emails, take unofficial visits, go to practices, go to games, follow up, etc. Sign up with NCSA for help! Arrange a date to kick or punt for them live. Your sincere interest will land you several college opportunities. These programs can offer partial/full athletic and/or academic scholarships. The more that they want you, the harder they will work to get you money somehow, someway. Believe me.
Never put all of your eggs in one basket. First and foremost always apply as a student first. Football may not work out due to injury or just lack of talent. If you are a legit D1 specialist, focus on D1 but make sure that you have D2, D3, etc. backups in place. If you are D2/D3 specialist, focus on those levels, but don’t be afraid to reach for the stars (you may improve in your final years). There is a home for everyone. Chris Sailer Kicking sees more specialists than anyone in the world and we still cannot find 700+ college level specialists per year to fill needs at every school. If you approach recruiting with a the correct plan in place you will find a home. Anticipate the ups and downs of recruiting and enjoy the ride. Remember you can make the NFL coming from any college. Take a look at NFL rosters and where the specialists played their college ball. The key is finding the right fit where you can continue to develop your skill. And ultimately, whether you make the NFL or not, the reward at the end will be a college degree from a great school that you most likely would not have received without football.
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