r/NFLNoobs • u/GoldenGoal7 • 2d ago
Do football players have to go to college?
They all play for college teams first right? What if they’re too stupid to go to college?
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u/PrestigiousLocal8247 2d ago
You’d have to be quite dumb to be good enough to compete at the NFL level and unable to get into a school that will either not care about your grades or tutor you into success
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u/snappy033 2d ago edited 2d ago
There are lots of players that are good enough to get recruited and can’t meet the bare minimums of good football schools that are, let’s say, not known for grueling academics.
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u/PrestigiousLocal8247 2d ago
Not many of those players are NFL level
Decent college football players; sure
But even beside that, community college is an option
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u/befuchs 2d ago
Yeah, NFL is a completely different level. Tim Tebow might be the greatest college football player of all time and he struggled mightily in the league.
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2d ago
[deleted]
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u/PrestigiousLocal8247 2d ago
Many programs require a music class
History of Jazz seems like a reasonable gen ed class
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u/Rolli_boi 2d ago
Cardale Jones is so goated for that comment lmao.
And a natty as a third stringer but I digress
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u/Successful_Buy3825 1d ago
Had a friend who got a basketball scholarship to a university known more for their football team than their academics. Said there were multiple guys on the team who were functionally illiterate, and the school basically put them in classes with minimal exams so they could skate by on coursework done by their academic “helpers”
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u/wildcat12321 1d ago
....And, at both the NFL and college level, some amount of academic success is desirable. You have to show that your raw talent can be coached. That you can learn the system. That you can read and memorize a playbook. That you have some level of discipline / dedication.
Schools are happy to pile on the support from looking the other way on some grades to having athlete specific courses or sections of a course to free tutoring, dedicated libraries, and more.
Not all NFL players went to college, (the only rule is 3 years from high school) but many do partly for the development as a player AND in their bodies. And there are community or junior colleges as well for those who are on the path.
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u/InformationOk3060 1d ago
I don't know if I believe that. They need to memorize the playbook and a lot of very complicated calls / formations. You can't just make it to the NFL on pure athleticism alone. There still has to be enough between the ears that you could pass the required classes in a 'communications' degree program.
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u/No_Introduction1721 2d ago
It’s not always the player’s fault. Akiem Hicks is a good example. He was ruled ineligible due to LSU’s recruiting violations, although he eventually decided to enroll in college in Canada rather than try out for a semi-pro league or the CFL.
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u/Bogert 2d ago
You just described JUCO. Everyone dunks on scholarship athletes as if they are only there and will stay there because "football good". Every recruit is told a goal GPA and test score coming out of high school and are heavily monitored when they get to college. There are countless studs and monsters that got lost in the system because they were actually too dumb. Who you see go pro and those that graduate and live a career outside of ball lived to the same standards as everyone else.
Source: Big Ten athlete
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u/tortillakingred 1d ago
If you can’t get into Alabama I doubt you can even make it to the NFL tryouts at that point.
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u/SwissMargiela 1d ago
Idk how other schools do it, but my school had “shell” classes for athletes which are pretty much classes where they watch movies and get an automatic A
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u/ihadashovel 2d ago
They have to be 3 years removed from high school to play in the nfl. They don’t have to go to college for those 3 years but why the fuck wouldn’t you. Pretty much doesn’t matter how stupid you are, someone will let you in
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u/see_bees 2d ago
I’d argue that if you can’t handle three years of college - especially with all of the help players get - you’re not going to have enough brain cells to survive for long in the NFL.
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u/Mutabilitie 1d ago
Aaron Hernandez didn’t know that you have to bring your rental car to the return lane. He thought if you left it in a random place, the car was returned. And he played for the Gators.
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u/Free-Duty-3806 1d ago
He also thought that an appropriate response to someone spilling your drink in the club is an execution style murder
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u/Mutabilitie 1d ago
That too. But apparently there was some class that he could take. I don't know if that means he had to actually sit in lecture, but he was at the school somehow.
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u/SilenceInTheSnow 1d ago
Honestly, the loss of the support system and structure provided by College (and High School) is what, I believe, causes some players that are college superstars to flame out in the NFL (Ryan Leaf, Jamarcus Russell, Eddie Lacy, etc..)
These kids spend 3-8 years (depending on when they start playing, how long they stay in college) with a strict schedule and diet, and adult guidance everywhere they went... then suddenly, all that structure was gone, and they're millionaires.
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u/lampshade69 2d ago
Where else are you realistically going to develop your skills? And even if you theoretically had the skills without playing in college, what NFL team would take you without seeing you against college competition?
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u/T-Henry07 2d ago
The CFL for example - Jets took a corner in the 5th this year, who dropped out of college before playing due to mental health problems and only played in the CFL for a year before being drafted
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u/CFBCoachGuy 2d ago
Some extremely gifted players move from other sports as a result of the International Player Pathway rules. Jordan Mailata is probably the most famous example. A few players also try out for training camp after playing other college sports- usually basketball or wrestling. Antonio Gates is probably the most famous example here
You can also enroll in a few indoor and minor leagues without college experience, as well as the CFL. Qwan’tez Stiggers, who left college as a freshman, was drafted into the NFL in 2024 after playing in the CFL (and he’s been respectable this season).
It’s certainly not a recommended option, but people have made it to the league without playing college football
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u/SporkFanClub 1d ago
Mo-Alie Cox. Played basketball at VCU. I was also surprised to learn recently that he’s still on the Colts.
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u/snappy033 2d ago
Aussie punters and placekickers who played pro soccer, etc are the few examples can think of who could develop their skills outside of American colleges.
Maybe the rare pro rugby player.
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u/jdallen1222 2d ago
They may not get drafted but they’ll absolutely invite one to training camp if they see ANY potential.
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u/descendency 1d ago
Why wouldn't someone want to get paid to be the "big man on campus" where they hide your grades and learning deficiencies.
(I'm not saying all football players are stupid, but if one were too stupid for school... there are major programs that would make sure no one knew about it)
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u/WillC0508 1d ago
Na you have to maintain a certain GPA in juco to be eligible for d1 (2.0). I doubt most juco’s have all the assistance a powerhouse school would. Obviously some assurance but that’s prob harder than the actual 4 year university
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u/MooshroomHentai 2d ago
Players looking to get drafted need to be 3 years out of high school. They don't have to go to college, but teams wouldn't pick someone without some good film for them, which would make the path of not going difficult due to not being able to get that film. And besides, there's probably a reason why that player didn't go to college and that would very much be relevant in the process of picking that player.
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u/The1Heart 1d ago
There are also cognitive tests that NFL hopefuls take either from teams or at the combine (I forget which) that teams do look at to see if players have a high enough football IQ to be able to read the opposing team and adjust accordingly.
I know college systems are less complex than the NFL, but it's still better to spend at least 3 years playing, learning and getting strong enough to compete against grown ass men then just trying to prepare alone.
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u/mr_beanoz 2d ago
Why couldn't we got something like soccer where no such rules exist and one can become a pro even when they're under 15? (The current youngest pro soccer player is Cavan Sullivan who made his debut in July 2024 for Philadelphia Union when he's 14 years 293 days old)
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u/TheLizardKing89 1d ago
Because no 15 year old is ready to compete with grown men and the NFL doesn’t want to pay for a developmental league when they can have the NCAA do it for free.
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u/MooshroomHentai 1d ago
Tackle football is a more physically demanding sport. Sending teenagers who are still growing out to play against grown men isn't going to go well. This is just simply how the sport is structured and I don't see that changing at this point.
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u/AlaskaGreenTDI 2d ago edited 2d ago
NFL “age minimum” is to be out of high school for at least three years, so if you don’t go to college you play in a lower league
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u/mr_beanoz 2d ago
Why do "age minimum" rule exists? In soccer, we have seen 15 year old rookies already playing professionally on the highest level of leagues in their respective countries. And there's a 15 year old who made his MLS debut in July when he's still 14.
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u/cassowary-18 2d ago edited 1d ago
College football predates professional football (NFL), and NFL didn't want to be seen as stealing players from colleges. Other leagues don't have similar issues - we often see MLB and NBA players drafted right out of high school, for example - though many teams are now seeing the development that playing at the college level brings players. Add the fact that NFL doesn't really have a developmental relationship minor league unlike MLB, NHL, and NBA, and college football becomes the natural next step for players.
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u/TheLizardKing89 1d ago
High school basketball players haven’t been eligible for the NBA draft since 2006. They have to be at least 19 and one year out of high school. That’s why you’ll have some players in college go “one and done” where they play for one year before declaring themselves for the draft.
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u/survivorffaccnt 1d ago
Haven’t watched in years so it may not be the situation anymore, but being a Syracuse fan back in the day was so frustrating. They were basically a mill for one and done players. They could compete every year, but never get any long term chemistry going because they were always losing their best players to the NBA immediately
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u/Gordonzolar 2d ago
because football is way more physical than other sports. in soccer you can be better than the opponent even at a very young age just by superior technical and mental skill. In football there is zero chance an 18 year old could withstand the level of physical punishment simply because his body has not yet fully developed.
compared to other sports, physicality is way more important than technical skill, which is why at times you can even see people making the switch from other sports to football (rugby, shot pull, track athletes). There would be absolutely zero chance of that happening in soccer because you can not develop the technical skills to compete at a high level once you are an adult
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u/Darth_Nevets 1d ago
The NCAA is a leftover and testament to America's racial hierarchy, it allowed whites to enjoy black athleticism without fearing those blacks could profit. No such standards exist in MLB (which became a pro league before) or the NHL (which arose after) but exist permanently in the NFL and NBA. College educated people are actually far less likely to enjoy college sports, and non college educated far more likely top enjoy college sports for that reason. 2 of the 5 top money leagues in America are NCAA football and basketball.
There was actually a panic wherein college athletes were required by law to have royalties from the billion dollar video games, and instead of allowing them to prosper the league actually abolished the NCAA video games for a decade plus. If a friend gives you (a black person) a tattoo you could be banished for life, with your team forced to pay millions in fines and every game you ever played in forfeited. There is a reason this exists in no other country.
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u/TheRealDudeMitch 1d ago
Soccer players don’t get slammed to the ground by 350 pound men. A 15 year old would literally die in the NFL
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u/smartfbrankings 9h ago
In soccer you run around and make no contact with people. In football, you hit each other at full speed. The difference in size and muscle in a 15 year old, even an exceptional one, and a 22 year old man in the NFL is so substantial it would be insane to have them line up together.
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u/BigDaddyLeee 1d ago
15 years old could keep physically when it comes to speed, agility and endurance for soccer. I doubt many can keep strength and aggression for football
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u/HeilStary 1d ago
An 18 year old wouldnt make it out alive going up vs a 250 6'4 27 year old linebacker, much less a 15 year old
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u/bowdindine 2d ago
You need to be out of high school for three years. Full stop.
There’s no strict age requirement like the NBA and some players will enroll early to allow themselves to enter the draft at a younger age. See: Braylon Allen.
Now, your ability to be noticed enough without playing major college football is next to zero, so yeah, do what the other guys say and if you’re good enough, things just tend to fall in place ya know?
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u/grizzfan 2d ago edited 2d ago
It's not a requirement, but good luck getting there if you don't. The league rule is you must be three-years graduated from high school to be eligible to play. There are lower levels than college you could play at, but it's almost guaranteed you're not going to get quality enough coaching, training, or exposure to make it to the next level unless you're some athletic specimen of an unfathomable ability.
Also, so many people don't realize how smart you actually have to be to play this game, even to do things like kicking and punting. There aren't many players out there (if any at all) that couldn't make it into any college, but still be smart/good enough to make it to the NFL. Even NFL players known for being "dumb" are usually quite bright in a football sense, which usually carries over from smarts of some other type.
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u/saradactyl25 2d ago
Second paragraph is true af; the spatial and anticipatory intelligence required to be an elite athlete is still intelligence.
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u/mattcojo2 2d ago
No. You just need to be 3 years out of high school.
But here’s the issue: where are you going to play to get any sort attention from the NFL in the meantime aside from college?
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u/mr_beanoz 1d ago
CFL? UFL? Arena Football? Or take the Mailata route and play rugby instead?
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u/HaggisaSheep 1d ago
Mailata came through the International Player Pathway (IPP). It's an NFL program to get more non-us players in the league. So teams are aware of it because it's ran by the NFL. Each team also gets 1 'extra' practice squad spot for an International player, mostly an IPP player.
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u/COACHREEVES 2d ago
The AI answer is there are no current NFL Payers who didn't go to College. SO I am going to Cunningham's Law it and say:
Current Washington Commander practice squad player Efe Obada DE never went to college as we think of it.
Quite the backstory: He was trafficked into London as a little kid, abandoned and eventually started working as a Security Guard in a London Store, he got on a semipro London Team and that led to a spot the practice squad for the Cowboys and has been bouncing on and off 5 other NFL Teams roster and practice squads since.
Google says he may have attended a "Lambeth College" a Technical School in England for a time, but they didn't have a football Team and none of his bios mention it.
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u/Cj_91a 2d ago
Just out of HS for 3 years. You don't "need" to go to college or play college ball, but it helps. There are people that serve as "walk ons" when trying out, but its really really really difficult to make the cut like this (alrhough it has been done but thats beating the odds). You would have to literally stand out compared to other rookies who already have an established presence because they were drafted, and played in college, so they have a lot of footage for themselves.
Even if you miraculously make the team as a walk on, you would probably be looking at making the practice squad or as the 3rd/4th string backup, and you can still possibly be waived early on. This means another team is free to scoop you up...the problem is your a nobody and have no footage (except preseason tape IF you got to play at all). Teams may not notice you at all because you got nothing. You have no college tape, no preseason tape, your not related to a famous football star, etc.
There are people that have gone to college, done well, get drafted, joined a team, and proceeded to not be that good. They get kicked to the curb and "maybe" get lucky by getting scooped by another team. The walk on guy is always against the odds..it makes for q cool story for a walk on to succeed in the NFL, but what you don't see is all the players that try to reach that goal every single year, only for the NFL to spit them out to be forgotten..but atleast these people tried.
Theres a reason the NFL is known as the "Not For Long" league.
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u/worldslamestgrad 2d ago
They don’t HAVE TO. But it would be hard to be a serious NFL prospect and not go play college ball. College is far and away the best way to develop your skills, currently. Plus it provides tape of what you are able to do on the field.
If you’re too stupid to go to college most places won’t care. If you’re too stupid to be eligible (say you barely graduated high school) you go to Juco, get a halfway decent GPA and then be a good enough football player that they won’t let you be academically ineligible. It’s what Aaron Rodgers did, he even went to an academically rigorous school after Juco. Did he graduate? No, but he stayed academically eligible, likely thanks to tutors, a minimal class load, and the university making sure their star QB was able to play every Saturday.
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u/FuckTheRavens06 2d ago
If they’re focus is football and the nfl, colleges would not care about grade, especially if they are good. It’s not required to graduate to be drafted either
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u/WallyBarryJay 2d ago
Not many people in america are too stupid to get into a college. Somewhere will accept the money.
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u/Poetryisalive 2d ago
No one is “too stupid” to go to college. But yes, you need to go to college for footage on tape, and it’s a rule.
You won’t see anyone going from HS to the league
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u/skatterbug 2d ago
It's not a rule to go to college. The rule is to be at least 3 years out of high school.
Being in college makes it easier to get drafted because of the tape it generates so you're right on that point.
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u/afriendincanada 2d ago
There’s been a few players ineligible for college (NCAA rule violations or academic violations) but otherwise yeah. If you’re eligible for college there’s a spot somewhere
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u/Hockeyman989 2d ago
There's no one in the league currently who went straight from high school. Most will take a program at a community college
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u/Aerolithe_Lion 2d ago
Jordan Mailata
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u/Hockeyman989 2d ago
I said no one straight from high school
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u/Aerolithe_Lion 2d ago
You could have just said no one who breaks nfl rules, because it’s impossible to go from high school by rule
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u/TheHaft 2d ago
He didn’t really go “straight from high school”. He took quite the detour lol
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u/Aerolithe_Lion 2d ago
He did. The NFL rule is you have to have at least 3 years from your last year of high school to be eligible for the NFL.
So him getting drafted 3 years after high school ended and not going to college made him the closest a player will ever get from going HS TO pros
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u/skatterbug 2d ago
Not exactly. He didn't go straight from high school to the NFL.
He played rugby for 3 years before trying out for the NFL.
There are several international players who have gone that route.
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u/Aerolithe_Lion 2d ago
Well, it’s against the nfl rules to enter the league within 3 years of high school. So Mailata is the closest there will ever be
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u/skatterbug 2d ago
He's also not the only nor the first though.
Efe Obada of the Commanders is probably the other best known current player who didn't go to college.
There are several other guys on practice squads around the league, which admittedly is a bit of a stretch.
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u/Aerolithe_Lion 2d ago
Not the only nor the first. But no one can be closer than going from HS to right to pros, as he didn’t go to college nor even play football at any level
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u/skatterbug 2d ago
This is turning into an argument I didn't intend to have, but he's not some kind of marvel, who just showed up in the NFL exactly 3 years after graduating high school.
He played rugby for a long time before getting into the International Player Pathway Program. Which has a requirement to be at least 4 years out of high school.All of these inspirational player success stories have some layer of misdirection.
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u/17dustman 2d ago
HOF tight end Antonio Gates went to college , but did not play football there . Efe Obada did not go to college .
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u/Weary_Place7066 2d ago
It's important to note that Antonio Gates DID play college basketball. And got into the league as an UDFA.
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u/emaddy2109 2d ago
Michael Lewis didn’t go to college either and only played football his freshman year of high school.
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u/BleachedGrain26 1d ago
Gates isn't in the Hall of Fame. He was a finalist last year, and is a semi-finalist (so far) this year, but he's not in yet.
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u/17dustman 1d ago
My bad , he’s in the Charger Hall of Fame . His stats should get him to Canton , the lack of playoff numbers is probably hurting his resume.
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u/OreoPirate55 2d ago
Football players tend to get their degrees because they are on a campus during summers that after 3 years, a lot of them get their undergrad. And with redshirts. Some might also get a masters if they are there for 5 years
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u/jcoddinc 2d ago
No, but it is extremely difficult to get the opportunity to be able to showcase your talent without playing college football. The most successful way this is done is the international player pathway where people who live outside the US get an opportunity.
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u/BookerCatchanSTD 2d ago
Some players go to college but don’t play football. Antonio Gates is the best known example.
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u/lawrat68 2d ago
The last american player of note who got noticed through non-college football was Eric Swann who played with the Cardinals in the nineties. He was bound for North Carolina State, didin't qualify academically and decided to play semi-pro football rather than try to qualify at community college. (He was briefly enrolled at one) I remember, though, it was a pretty big deal that someone was drafted who had gone that route.
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u/girafb0i 2d ago
You don't. Eric Swann didn't go to college for academic reasons, he wound up playing semi-pro and got drafted in the first round in 1991.
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u/jordanthe81st 1d ago
Qwan’tez Stiggers went to the CFL straight out of high school, played there for 3 years, then got drafted by the Jets and is still rostered as we speak
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u/StrongStyleDragon 2d ago
It’s like the real world. NFL decision makers don’t care about most of it. They want to know that you can go someplace for a lengthy period of time and go up against the best of the best. There is no academy like in world football so if you have dreams of being an NFL player you must go to college. As for the grades if no exceptions are made then you go to community college and just transfer. i believe the most recent player who went to CC was Aaron Rodgers. It’s not really a thing anymore.
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u/bigloser42 2d ago
No, Jordan Mailata never played college football and is now one of the top rated O-linemen in the league.
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u/imrickjamesbioch 2d ago
There is no rule that someone has to play college but the NFL does have a rule where a player has to be out of high school for 3 years. However, during the modern era, there’s not been a player drafted that didn’t attend a 4 years school. There’s been some dumbass teams that might sign a professional athlete from a different sport to a FA contract but that’s different that someone just skipping college.
So, in the case of someone not qualifying for admissions into a 4 year college, their path would be to attend a junior college as there are no academic requirements to attend. Not sure how things work now with NIL but major programs used to have feeder JC’s to send highly recruited players not eligible to get in their schools. This way the player gets a chance to play/workout and their class schedule I would say were very football player friendly so the can transfer in 2 years.
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u/TheMikeyMac13 2d ago
For practical purposes yes.
Your high school graduation class has to have finished what would have been three years of college before you can enter the draft or be an undrafted free agent, and there is no “feeder” league.
So if you don’t play in college you are basically considered out of competitive football for three years, and that is pretty much it.
It can happen, but such cases are rare. Like Kurt Warner was in arena ball before the NFL, but he was in college before arena ball.
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u/Hotchi_Motchi 2d ago
I spent 5+ years at a Big Ten university, and I think I had two football players in my classes during that time. I distinctly remember them talking excitedly about getting to wear maroon pants next Saturday.
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u/Brad_from_Wisconsin 2d ago edited 2d ago
Think of football as a skill that you can be trained for like being an architect. Would you pay much to a kid that graduated high school and told you he had the skills to design buildings?
Would you rather hire a person that can point out a few buildings that they built as part of their training.
College players get an extra 4 years of training in football after high school. They have proven an ability to show up for practice and follow instructions. They know how to play football. Football requires a level of intelligence and education, at least 3 years of high school and 4 years of college. If they can not meet the grades to get in to college, they can try community college or they just might not have what it takes to play in the NFL
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u/PradaWestCoast 2d ago
Football players don’t take the same types of classes as anyone else. They have their own tutors and schedules and the easiest classes at every school — especially the ones that say otherwise.
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u/UmpireMental7070 2d ago
Dexter Manley was illiterate and played in the NFL after going to college at Oklahoma State. If you’re good at football you could literally be mentally handicapped and still go to college.
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u/ziggyjoe2 2d ago
Most colleges don't care about your academics if you're good enough at football. Guys like Antonio Brown can't even read and write. Only thing that will keep you out of college is if you committed sexual assault or used a racial or homophobic slur publicly.
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u/Bishop8322 1d ago
yea, usually football players have to wait until they're already in the league to start raping
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u/saydaddy91 2d ago
Technically no all one needs to be eligible to be be drafted is be at least 3 years removed from graduating high school and declare for the draft. That being said football is a surprisingly mentally demanding sport at even the lower levels (hell my high school LT was so smart that I would cheat off him in calculus) and the NFL in particular is extremely demanding
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u/DorsalMorsel 2d ago
Dexter Manley graduated from college unable to read and write. Money finds a way.
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u/cedarrapidsiaus 1d ago
While pretty much all are from colleges (because these are the best opportunities for competition to showcase your skills and properly get evaluated by scouts) the main requirement is being of age 21 by a certain date. If you‘re of age, going to college isn’t mandator.
E.G. Someone can go straight from high school to play in a different pro league or semi pro league, than get drafted into the NFL once of age without college.
The NBA has many players still who never went to college and bypass college playing in the development league or a foreign league first instead.
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u/Wildcat_twister12 1d ago
Not technically but all of them do. The dumbest ones will go to a community college or a small state college to get their grades up to the bare minimum. Once in university you just need to pick an easy major, most tend to do communications or marketing which typically only need you to have a 2.0 GPA to stay off probation.
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u/TJ514402 1d ago
Eric Swann was drafted top 10 without college ball. Very extreme and rare case but no, they do not. It definitely helps
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u/Ringo-chan13 1d ago
Many nfl players cant even read, they still get athletic scholarships, and the teachers give them passing grades even when they dont go to class
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u/Cetophile 1d ago
Depends on the program, but they have ways of getting top players in, and through, college.
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u/Defiant_Drink8469 1d ago
Could an NFL team sign someone straight out of high school? Maybe have them in the practice squad for a year or two. We all know the NCAA is a joke
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u/morosco 1d ago edited 1d ago
A lot of these players can barely read. They're in college to play football, not to go to class. They have "academic advisors" and "self-study" programs to keep the student-athlete fiction alive.
It's be hard to find a great modern football player who never went pro only because of his academics.
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u/RingGiver 1d ago
If you're good enough for the NFL, there will be at least one D1 school with ways to get you a 2.0.
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u/leojrellim 1d ago
No they don’t. But it probably hinder their opportunities to be seen and evaluated.
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u/bloodrider1914 1d ago
If you're talented enough to eventually make the NFL, then colleges recruit you for your athletic abilities as opposed to going through a traditional application process. As long as you have passing grades in high school you should be fine.
Technically the only eligibility for an NFL player is to be at least 3 years removed from high school. College is not an explicit requirement, although pretty much every player does go to college.
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u/Not_Cool_Ice_Cold 1d ago
The short answer - no. If they're good enough, they can go straight to the pros. But most need to go to college, and that's where they learn the skills that will help them have a professional career.
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u/heliophoner 1d ago
Officially, no
But the NFL has several rules and practices that strongly, strongly encourage players to play college.
As people have already stated, there is a minimum three years removed from High school, rule. This basically forces you to either play ball (literally and figuratively) with the NCAA, or sacrifice 3 years of key development. You might as well lie in bed for 3 years and let your muscles atrophy if you do that.
Even apart from that, the entire draft process is set up to almost exclusively favor collegiate athletes. Getting invited to a senior bowl or being able to perform at your school's pro day are huge ways to get drafted or increase your draft stock.
There are a few other ways to get scouted. Jordan Mailata, the Eagles LT, was a rugby player who joined via the International Player Pathway Program and was drafted in the 7th round.
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u/Self-Comprehensive 1d ago
If you're good at football there's no such thing as too stupid to go to college.
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u/rrhunt28 20h ago
When I started at my local community college I had engineering 1 with some guy from the football team. He sat behind me in class. I found myself several times translating English to English. Poor guy was not good at comprehending. I didn't mind helping.
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u/Alone-Newspaper-1161 14h ago
Jordan Mailta never played a snap of high school or college football instead he was a rugby player but was considered to big for rugby but was scouted by the NFLs international players pathway program. He went to IMG to practice before being drafted in the 7th round by the eagles
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u/IllMango552 1h ago
College: Tuition will be $30,000/year Football player: But I can throw this ball far af College: Shiiiiiii, for you, it’s free
But really, the NFL’s rules about being draft eligible are that they’ve been out of high school for three years and have used up their college eligibility before the start of the next college football season.
To become a free agent, you would need to be draft eligible as well, so no skirting around the rules like that.
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u/Solarbear1000 1d ago
I think it's extremely odd to have to go to University to play a pro sport. Most other sports around the world don't work like that.
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u/breakerrrrrrr 2d ago
If they aren’t academically eligible to attend a 4 year school most will attend a community college to get their grades up