There's an old saying, "Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark - you know what you are doing, but nobody else does".

Now you're probably thinking, "Ok dummy, I'm not in business, all I want to do is to get a football scholarship and play football!"

My response to you is, if you treat your football career as a business and promote it as such, you'll have a better chance of getting recruited than someone who just leaves it to chance and does nothing.

The most important thing you need to do is to PROMOTE yourself. Don't rely on someone else to do it for you! What we'll present to your here, are tips and tricks on how to increase your chances of getting that athletic scholarship.

Start Promoting Yourself Now!

I'm no expert at recruiting, so I obtained the help of an expert - Coach John Lupoi. If you're not familiar with his credentials, go ahead and Google him! Mr. Lupoi is a former Division One Football coach, Football Recruiting Coordinator, and Head High School Football Coach. His son was a national recruit, and is currently a coach in the Pac-10 Conference. The recruiting and scholarship advice on this lens comes from him.

• Make a 3-minute or 12 to 20 minute play highlight video. Tips on what to include in that video are listed in the next section.


• Be registered with the NCAA Clearing House. The direct number for the
  clearing house is (319)337-1492.


• Begin taking ACT and SAT tests as soon as possible. You can take them as
  often as offered. Only the highest score counts.


• Send academic scores directly from the test by marking your test code
  9999.


• Because NCAA standards are the highest, making yourself eligible at this
  level automatically makes you academically eligible at all other levels.


• The NCAA website address is:
  
  www.NCAA.org. Once on the homepage, look under [college bond].


• The NCAA eligibility hot line is (800)638-3731.


• For information on the ACT go to:
  
  www.act.ord/aap. You can contact them directly at (319)337-1313.


• For information on the SAT go to:
  
  www.collegeboard.com.  You can also contact them directly at (609)771-7600.


• For information about any college go to:
  www.utexas.edu/world/univ/state.


• Fort information about any Junior College go to:
  
  www.utexas.edu/world/comco/state.


• For information about NCAA guide to financial aid, call (913)339-1906.


• Have coaches from all levels of competition evaluate you.


• Extend your search nationwide.


• Go to D1athletes.com and sign-up
  for a free account. Upload your highlight videos to your account.

Having video will make it easier for coaches to evaluate you. You want as many coaches as possible to evaluate your athletic skills, and video is the quickest way to accomplish this.

The following guidelines outline what coaches look for when evaluating a video. Select your position and create a 'highlights' video that captures the points outlined below. When you are done with your video, upload it to D1Athletes.com.

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Offensive Line: The ability to run and use your body in space, (Block on the run). Mental toughness reflected in effort when play is away from you, blocking downfield, the ability to move your feet, strike a blow not only in drive block but in pass protection, upper body strength, and your overall speed as related to O-Line play. Get-off, leg-drive, endurance, follow-through, explosion, sustaining blocks.

Offensive Backfield: Athletic ability, running style, acceleration-explosiveness at the hole, redirection, vision, power and leg drive, blocking ability, tough-short yardage running, receiving, ball handling, second effort, make the first man miss.

Tight Ends and Receivers: Effort underneath coverage, ability to get open, speed to go deep relative to your position, hands, vision, vertical jump, quickness, release, yardage after receptions, acceleration to the ball, game speed, ball protection, stretch/layout, re-react to ball, ability to separate, hands.

Quarterbacks: Deep throw, touch pass, reaction to pressure, foot speed to drops, release, ball handling, decision making, misdirection, play action, knowledge of coverage, leadership, run ability, mental toughness.

Defensive Down Linemen: Get off, upper body strength, pursuit, endurance, block protection, pass rush, ability to keep feet, ability to tackle, ability to stunt, ability to squeeze the hole down, collapse the pocket, pressure, disrupt, leap, and contain the perimeter and boundary, turn plays in, control the LOS, and create or initiate "chaos" at the point of attack.

Linebackers: Block protection, quickness, pull the trigger, (blitz), speed to impact, smother the ball carrier, intensity, movement in space, filling the hole, redirection, pursuit, coverage, hitter, tackler, game momentum changer, leadership, ability to insight and charge-up "Team Tempo!" Controlled Recklessness.

DB's: Coverage, blitz, pursue, open field tackling, vertical leap, vision, hands, athleticism, alignment, body control, run force, speed, open field tackling, ability to recover, make big plays, fight to the ball, force receiver off routes, use of hands, upper body strength-shuck force, good decisions.

Fact: If you want a college athletic scholarship there is one person you must impress - the evaluating coach!

Myth: The best opportunities for being noticed by coaches are combines and camps.
Fact: NCAA regulations require that coaches only attend scholastic events, and even when coaches attend events much of the talent and skill athletes possess is not reported or evaluated. Coaches can be overwhelmed with the task of making evaluations without game film, and, when hundreds of athletes are being tested or performing at once. Most good evaluators will not make a decision based on a camp performance.

Myth: Getting evaluated by hundreds of coaches takes months, and costs too much money.
Fact: The Internet provides services that offer athlete profiles, and gets your information and game film in front of as many college evaluators/recruiters as possible at no charge.

Myth: If a company or your coach sends in film a college evaluator or recruiter can contact you or give you feedback.
Fact: A college coach cannot contact you or give you feedback using traditional methods of evaluation, networks, or outside resources, such as a go-between service, until you have completed six semesters of High School.

Myth: The internet does not have services that combine athlete profiles with data and film, at no charge for athletes that comply with NCAA regulations, and initial contact rules. Thus, you must pay for a go-between service for exposure and promotion.
Fact: The internet does offer services that can provide student-athletes exactly what they need to impress thousands of evaluating coaches, within NCAA guidelines, at no cost, and it is considered an initial contact by NCAA regulation so the evaluating coach can give you feedback you need. One such site that offers these services is D1Athletes.com.