How to Get Recruited by a College Football Team

Getting recruited by a college to play football, especially by an NCAA-sanctioned school, is one of the biggest honors a high school football player can receive. However, there are only a limited amount of scholarships available each year and getting noticed is becoming more and more competitive. To be one of the lucky few to gain a college scholarship in football, follow these steps.

Instructions

    • 1

      Compile a list of schools that interest you both athletically and academically. Do this prior to your junior year. These don't all have to be NCAA Division I-A schools. Several professional players played in lower division schools and still got noticed.

    • 2

      Visit the websites of each of these schools to get the name and addresses for each coach. There are also several websites that have the names of all of the various football coaches across the divisions in one handy place, but it will cost you to access these sites.

    • 3

      Have your high school coach put together a highlight film of all of your greatest plays. Also, cut articles from newspapers and magazines and keep track of all your high school accolades.

    • 4

      Send the tape, commonly called a recruiting tape, to the prospective coaches along with a letter asking the coach to look at your film and consider you for a potential scholarship. Make sure your high school coach also sends a letter of endorsement for you. Be sure to not only include your contact information, but also the contact information for your high school coach.

    • 5

      Attend state and national summer football camps as well as camps of the schools where you're interested in playing. Call the coaches beforehand to make sure they know you're coming and make sure to introduce yourself while at camp.

    • 6

      Return any requests for information from prospective college coaches immediately, and ask your high school coach to do the same.

    • 7

      Register with the NCAA Eligibility Clearinghouse when you are a senior to make sure you are eligible to participate in NCAA athletics. You cannot receive a scholarship without this certification.