I AmA Former Division 1 NCAA Football Recruit who turned down scholarships and decided to not play in college. AMA.

Do you eat a lot of boogers?

Oh tons. My coach was more shocked than mad but he started to realize where I was coming from. Today no one remains upset about it. Especially my parents. They supported me 100% in my decision.

Why did you decide to give it up?

Health, mainly. Yes I would have been in exceptional shape the next 4ish years of my life, but imagine what my knees, head, back etc. would be like in 20-30 years. My high school has had almost a dozen D1 players in the last decade, all of which have some health issues already. Mainly minor, but still.

Coming from a guy that between HS and Division II college ball that has had all of the following due to football I commend you on your decision related to your health sir:

• 2 concussions
• 2 knee operations on my right knee, 1 on my left, and 12 years later now a second scheduled on my left partially related to football
• I am 37 yo, have no cartridge in either knee nor a meniscus and in my right knee my ACL was removed and only my MCL remains
• According to my surgeon I have the arthritis of an 80 year old man in both knees
• Surgeon also stated that eventually because the knees are bone on bone I will have to have both knees replaced
• My ring finger on my right hand is permanent crooked from breaking it twice
• And I'm starting to experience a little memory loss which may or may not be related to the concussions

It may look like it however I was not what I nor my coaches considered "injury prone" but due to my size I was a huge target (no pun intended), often double teamed, at times triple, and took a lot of cheap shots / chop blocks.

IMO you made the right decision.

Thank you. And I hope your health will improve!

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Jesus. The feels. Hopefully in the near future medical technology will be able to fix them quickly.

What injuries did you already have?

Think I put it in here already but I tore and partially tore both MCL's and had smaller ligament damage.

I work with a guy who played Safety at a D1 school. He is 30 and had a hip replaced last December.

Brutal. Best of luck to him.

Instead of having bad knees or whatever, now in 20-30 years you'll be sitting on your couch thinking "What if I played?" I think that's even worse.

I had that for about the first year. I am now 100% sure I made the right choice. Watching my favorite teams is enough to satisfy my cravings. Or I just call up friends and play at the school.

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Great questions.

1) The kindest staff I got to meet was Jerry Kill when he was at Northern Illinois. When I was on my visit there he sat me down in the office with him and a few coaches and just shot the shit. Talked about how school was going, my high school team, and stuff like that.

2) None really. When coaches are in recruit mode, they all can be total kiss asses. But since I hate Ohio State.....Ohio State. Give my Hurricanes our 2002 title back.

3) From what I remember, Rivals had me at a 4. That could be wrong though. Most places had me 3-4 *'s

4) I would have preferred to play in the ACC, specifically The U. However they don't usually target prospects from my region unless they're a top tier player.

5) Haven't played that in a few years, but if you can still play as a LT that would be sweet. However I have played as guys from my high school who graduated before me.

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1) Jackson Jeffcoat made me his bitch once. That was fun.

2) Open...yes. In high school our first coach was just a 'Pound it to my side' guy, but senior year the new coach as more of a West Coasty type passing offense. I just love to block. Our QB was/is my best friend since 2nd grade, so I liked keeping him clean.

3) I couldn't agree more. I can see 10 years from now watching my precious Chicago Bears playing two hand touch. However, my opinion is this - you know what you're signing up for. If you don't want to risk your health....don't. My life is perfectly fine just sitting down on Saturday/Sunday watching football.

Jackson Jeffcoat put up some insane lifting records at my high school. His shot put throw in the 7th grade broke the 8th grade district record

Not surprised one bit.

Hardest hit I ever received as a linebacker was from this guy in high school. This kid was dumb as a brick. He had been racking up 300 yd rushing games all year and coach told me to spy on his ass. During the first quarter I noticed that he would stare at the hole he had to run threw.

The next couple series we plugged those holes and held him to 3 and outs. The QB or someone must of noticed me looking at his eyes so the next series they had on offense he would stare at one hole and run through another.

Well the first time he did that I was off caught off guard and met him as I took 2 steps sideways and he had 3-4 strides to gain momentum. Guy hit me hard but I held onto him and took him down. I was out of it for a few minutes but we got lucky and the next play the QB fumbled the snap and we got the ball back.

This guy was 6'2 225 lbs and SOLID. He also ran super fast as he set school/district records in track in field.

TL,DR - OUCH

Yeah, I have given out a concussion or two. My playing size was about 6'3" and 285#'s. I felt terrible because one team in our district is pretty bad and their starting MLB was hurt. His replacement was small and average at best. Chipped on the 3tech and slid down to block him. Lowered my shoulder and drove right into him. He was thrown back and landed with his head whip-lashing back into the turf.

No questions... just here to say Fuck the Packers.

So much

So you played in the Big 12? What school?

Not sure where you got that? I chose NOT to play.

Oh how I hate Ohio State!

Clearly not a Michigan man.....Go Blue!

I'm gonna x-post this to (r/cfb) for more exposure.

Much appreciated.

In the end do you believe you made the right choice by choosing to focus on education or do you wish you would have followed your dream?

Absolutely. A good friend/mentor of mine decided to play in the MAC as an OT. His knee's are completely ruined and he has even said there are days he really does regret playing. To me, I wanted to be able to walk with my grand kids someday without having to take painkillers.

Right on, a someone who's about to finish their last year on a swimming scholarship, I wouldn't do it again. Injury wasn't really a problem, just the amount of time I had to spend sleeping if I wanted to survive swim practice which really cut into the amount of time I should've studied. And now I'll have to look for jobs with this lower GPA and say...but I swimmed super good?

My take on that is if the employer doesn't give a shit about your swimming in college and only GPA, I wouldn't want to work for that person. To me, it is stupid and illogical to base how good of an employee someone will be based on GPA. But that is a whole different rant for a different time. Swim on, my friend.

Do employers really ask for your GPA? I've never encountered that!

I have not. However I have heard of it.

Maybe there will be medical advancements that will make knee replacements better than actual knees.

I wish I could be a robot. I would be soooooo happy.

What's an example of a coach trying to bend rules?

I personally never had any coaches do anything against the rules, with me at least. However I remember a few coaches/staff members would contact me in times not permitted, I believe. Also, a few that would come visit me in school would say things like, "We can't technically do X until next month, but you'll hear from us before then." Hey NCAA investigators, don't waste your time. All schools do this every year.

So how much did they offer to pay you?

Tuition....and all the stuff a scholarship pays. The only shady stuff happens with big name recruits from what I have heard. I was desired, but not a prospect teams were willing to give a Porsche and a home.

Cough Ohio State Cough

As a giant Miami Hurricane fan, GIVE ME BACK MY 2002 TITLE!

But...you didn't win that game.

>:(

THE U!!! Huge fan of the U and my most hated school is Ohio State!!!! I don't know you personally, but your good in my book!!!!

THE []_[]

Obligatory

I worked with a skinny 6'3", 170 pound carpenter. When he played D1 football he was a 270 pound offensive lineman (I saw the pictures). He said it was all due to steroids that the coaches encouraged them to use. Were you ever encouraged to take steroids by the coaches?

Not once. That maybe would have changed once I committed to a school. However from what I have heard from others that did decide to play, they never have been asked to.

How many stars did Rivals.com give you?

Someone else asked this, from what I remember it was 4. Maybe 3. Most sites had me 3-4.

To piggyback on this question:

3-4 stars is pretty darn good. What is (in your opinion) the biggest factor in how one gets ranked?

Is it the tape? Combine performance? Other offers?

Which was your biggest offer?

Man...I honestly have no idea how they work. I would assume the biggest factor is the caliber of offers/combines. Tape not so much. I have watched film of guys who are 2 stars that just light everything up. But I could be totally wrong.

Edit - Whoops ignored that last part. Biggest offer I wanted? The U. I got? Oregon/Stanford probably. All the schools were impressive, even the smaller conference ones.

Did they ever have hot girls take you around campus and to parties when you visited?

Nope. From everyone I met and talked to, that's a big myth. Some of the coaches were with their families and had wives that exceed "10/10 would bang many times"

Haha, some schools have "hostess" for the recruits and they are hot. You didn't see anything like this?

(http://www.fitsnews.com/2011/07/20/inside-college-footballs-hostess-programs/)

Oh, on field and stuff yeah. However they didn't take you around campus and take you to parties and stuff, like I imagined in your question.

Oh, I just saw something on Deadspin about how ASU and Colorado had there hostesses throw parties and have sex with recruits. Did you visit ASU or Colorado?

Neither....dammit.

That's some BMS shit.

Just to chime in here as a lacrosse athlete who's being (lightly) recruited and a lot of friends who are in pretty high demand at some schools. At official visits for lacrosse, at least, the partying and hot girls aspect is definitely present.

I heard Duke has some crazy lacrosse parties.

What happened during your "Official" visit?

I had multiple, but they all were similar. People had friends and family everywhere, you felt like a celebrity. One visit I was joined by our HS's rival star player, who I was somewhat friends with so it was kind of fun to see what we each thought and even joked about deciding to play at the same university.

I'm reminded today again olines consist some real smart people. Good luck with your future!

DUH IS THAT A RUN OR A PASS COACH

What schools were considering you?

All of them. Each school has a unique aspect. Each school is great compared to many.

Hey man I love the AMA so far. I'm going to walk-on at a good D2 school this fall but I've been rethinking it because I already have knee issues from High School. Just asking was it worth not playing and giving up your dream of playing college ball?

Worth it? Can't say it isn't. However either A) have a back-up plan or B) just give it a go. You will know for sure once camp comes around.

Yea that's what I'm thinking. I don't wanna quit but if it's what I gotta do then that's that. Thanks for the response! This is a great AMA!

You bet

Would you have considered playing in college more if you played a more high-profile position like quarterback or running back?

A great question, but I don't know if I have an answer. The only thing I played besides OT was fullback for one day in youth. Then we weighed in and I was too heavy to play in the backfield. I guess I would have had to have experience at those positions to really give you an honest answer.

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During the season or offseason?

So you said that you turned them down but what was the alternative? I guess my question is the why or what would have been your opportunity cost of playing? What college would you have played for and which one are going to/did you go to instead?

I am sorry, but I guess I do not understand the first part that well. Running on a few hours of sleep ATM. But I was close to attending several Pac-10 and Big 10 schools. If you can maybe reword the question I would be happy to answer it for you.

Edit - I am now at a university in my home state majoring in finance and supply chain operation management. I still wanted to go to school even if I did not play.

He's basically asking you what you wanted to do instead of playing.

Ah, figured but wasn't sure. I will edit it in.

majoring in finance and supply chain operation management

Are you at Rutgers?

No I am not.

Is there nothing you regret about giving it up? I know I regret not playing tennis in college because it is the sport I love most.

Exactly. I love football, I want to play it every day. I regret it from time to time, but I do know that when I would be done and out of school, I would slowly develop some health issues. Knee related especially.

Yeah I definitely understand what you mean by that. The wear and tear adds up. Plus so much dedication comes along with the collegiate sports. It gets to the point where you don't any free time.

Yeah, one school which which I will probably not name required 20 hours per week in the football team's tutor room. I am all for that, grades are important, but many people have their own methods of studying. A requirement like that definitely can take away from the 'college life.'

What state did you play your high school ball?

I am a Chicago Bears fan and a Miami Hurricanes fan. That should make it obvious.

/s

This I will not answer. I have trust issues. Dammit Wendy!!!

I don't see the connection between the two but maybe I am just slow.

Sarcasm.

If you decided on going to college to play ball, which school were you leaning towards the most? Why?

Stanford was pretty compelling. I knew a couple guys I played with/against that went there. However I knew I was not going to play before I got really close to picking a school.

I'd almost think a Stanford degree would be worth the bum knee. That is one of the best schools in the country academically.

Very true. But believe me, it was considered.

What did you think of UNL when they were recruiti you?

Never got too familiar with them.

What are you studying?

Finance and Supply Chain Operations Management.

Great major choices! You most likely will get a job after graduation!

Thank you! I have a steady job at the moment. May actually go career there and move into management. Long story short - boss is my neighbor who gave me a job cleaning shitters and cleaning the shop and after several years of hard work put me in the "apprentice" program learning CNC machining. Love my job. Love my school.

As a former football recruit myself I had an opportunity to play at Florida State but I turned it down after suffering a neck injury and wanting to walk later in life. I say you make a great decision granted you got an education as well.

Thank you. Go Canes! <3

Were you ever recruited by an SEC school? If so, what school?

No I was not. At least not seriously.

If you had received an offer from the U, would you have 100 % gone there to play?

Tough one. The decision would have been much tougher.

Do you still play for fun at all?

Yeah I mean we have annual games with family and friends. Nothing rough but still fun. I may get into coaching back at my school.

Coming from a NU fan, what did you think of how Northwestern recruited you? Any specific things you remember that you liked/disliked?

Pat Fitz was the man. Seemed to be one of the most genuine coaches in the whole process. He didn't kiss ass all the time. He was a straight shooter and easy to laugh and talk to. My soph/junior year I was at their camp and he took the time to go around and try to talk for a few minutes to each player and their family/friends.

This isn't a question, but just wanted to say you seem to be doing an awesome job answering questions, something a lot of AMAs suck at, and this AMA turned out to be more interesting than I originally expected. Props to you, best of luck with school.

Thank you much Kaymann. I do not see the point in doing an AMA without reaching out to everyone or at least trying to. Best wishes.

If you don't mind me asking, did you come from a family that had the means to put you through college or the grades necessary for an academic scholarship? My best friend lost the desire to continue playing football at a collegiate level but only took the scholarship because it was his only chance at higher education.

Luckily both. My parents worked hard in their younger days and received lots of schooling. They're both in the medical field.

If you had been rated higher as a recruit (say 5 stars) and been able to go to the U would you have reconsidered? If it looked like you would be heading toward pro football would you have gone for it?

I would have to say yes/probably. If that were the case I would have gone about it differently and had more things to weigh in on and consider. C'mon man it's all about the U

Do you still consider yourself a die-hard football fan? If so, what do you prefer, NFL or NCAA?

There are die-hard fans, then there is me. I had to fix my dad's dry wall because I threw a beer bottle at the wall after Cutler threw that awful pic in week 2 against Green Bay. Fuck the Packers.

Would you have rathered played or is recruiting worth it?

I have no regrets and college recruiting is probably the one time in my life I will have ever felt like I was a celebrity walking down the street in LA. Felt good man.

What sport/position? From what I've read I'll guess Football/Running Back or Lineman

Title says Football :)

But yes, offensive tackle. Would have made the switch to guard probably though.

So, since you're a 'Canes fan, in an alternate universe where you play football in college BUT you only get scholarships from FSU, Florida and BC, which do you pick?

FSU. When I play I would just hold and give up sacks all the time.

Bold strategy, Cotton

I would be Jimbo's favorite.

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1) I was an offensive lineman, where it is not as common to have head issues unlike running backs, linebackers etc. Never had a concussion in youth/high school, had several torn MCL's and other knee issues.

2) I am blessed with parent's who worked hard in their younger day's and helped me pay for school. So no, I do not think it was a terrible idea, however I know I am in a special situation.

Hodor :D

Hodor Hodor Hodor

I hate to be that guy, but aside from a nondescript picture of letters, has the OP given the mods definitive proof as to who he is?

I sent them some, but I'm not very comfortable giving out too much info so they said just put some in the post.

Just saying everyone on a varsity HS team gets letters from a ton of schools just like that. Not proof.

Everyone

Only player in our district that even talked to D1 schools. Believe me or not. Up to you. Why would I lie about this? Karma? Nope using an account I never use. To seem cool? Why am I not saying who I am?