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The summer going into my senior year of HS I tore my ACL. I want to walk on a D1 college football team but the walk on tryouts are coming up and I'm only 5months post op. I know it is unlikely that I will be back to where I was by the time of tryouts. I really don't want to wait until next year to tryout because I want to train with the team this year. Any suggestions on what I could do to get on the team this year because I will most likely miss walk on tryouts in feb.?
Are you still in high school? Or just waited a year to get the surgery?
By the sounds of it, you are still in high school. Therefore, you cannot tryout for the team. You have to be enrolled at that school to tryout.
It's not like you tryout in february and then if you make it, you join the team when you enroll over the summer.
Also, walkons join the team throughout the year. The ones who make it through the tryouts in february, will join the team for spring ball. There will be walkons invited to join over the summer who didn't even participate in the tryouts. Pretty much the people eligible for those february tryouts are guys who have been attending the school for that school year at the least. There will be walkons fresh out of high school joining the team over the summer, since that is the soonest they can join the team.
But 5 months post op acl surgery is way too soon. What method did you get? cadaver? pattela? Hamstring?
Well I am actually doing the same thing right now. I just got accepted at Iowa State University for the fall semester, and if I'm not mistaken our walk-on try outs will be more towards football season
Best advice possible?
Read this:
[url]http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/the_walk_on[/url]
[QUOTE=LiftNPlay;1012667003]Best advice possible?
Read this:
[url]http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/the_walk_on[/url][/QUOTE]
That article is of a guy that played in the 90's. A lot of things have changed since.
[QUOTE=SDOptimist;1012669043]That article is of a guy that played in the 90's. A lot of things have changed since.[/QUOTE]
Almost everything is stil applicable to walk-ons today (especially at big-time schools).
Best advice in terms of the mindset that you have to go into tryouts/football with.
[QUOTE=LiftNPlay;1012670823]Almost everything is stil applicable to walk-ons today (especially at big-time schools).
Best advice in terms of the mindset that you have to go into tryouts/football with.[/QUOTE]
I disagree. Every coach handles his walkon process differently. Some coaches don't even have walkon tryouts. Some hate walkons, some love the whole walkon thing. Some coaches put more value into walkons and can find some gems in them, other coaches see them as dirt and treat them like dirt.
But that article is what it was like in the 90's and that specific school. Not what it was like at every single school. Plus, it is different these days. I've learned from first hand experience.
It is still a great article and gives you some good insight and an idea on what it is like. But things have changed, and every school is different.
But why go into with any other mindset than: This will be the hardest thing I have done, and I have to go 100% everyday for 2+ years to even crack punt protection team (you get my point.)
[QUOTE=LiftNPlay;1012675403]But why go into with any other mindset than: This will be the hardest thing I have done, and I have to go 100% everyday for 2+ years to even crack punt protection team (you get my point.)[/QUOTE]
well ya there is no doubt about that. Even as a starter you have to have that type of mindset. Because their job isn't safe either. Everyone has to bust their butt for 4-5 years regardless if you are the star or a walkon bench warmer. It is harder to stay their, than it is to get there.
It's just that the article goes off in a different direction talking about how you will be treated once you are on the team. Which is false these days. But, it also depends on so many factors like the type of people the coaches are, staff members and your teammates. It is them that will make it enjoyable or miserable, not you being a walkon. If you make it as a walkon and bust your ass every day and show commitment in getting better and also in helping your teammates get better, then they will treat you with respect and treat you as one of them. I've seen both ends of the spectrum first hand with walkons and scholarship players.
They used my patella. Yea the doc told me it will be 9-12 months for a full recovery so I'm being cautious and not doing anything to strenuous until then. That makes more sence, the summer would be better because that will be around the 9month mark of my recovery. Do you know if there is a tryout for the incoming fresh, or are they mainly the recruits?
[QUOTE=bbuildj1036;1012733673]They used my patella. Yea the doc told me it will be 9-12 months for a full recovery so I'm being cautious and not doing anything to strenuous until then. That makes more sence, the summer would be better because that will be around the 9month mark of my recovery. Do you know if there is a tryout for the incoming fresh, or are they mainly the recruits?[/QUOTE]
Depends on the coaches. Every school is different. Email them and ask how they handle walkons. But yes, they will be bringing on freshman walkons over the summer. But ya you are still in high school. So, you can't try out for the team until at least summer time (~august).
I tore my acl. Had patella tendon as well. My knees was still very sensitive at the 9 month mark. Supposedly it was strong enough to be cleared to play, but I still wasn't able to cut, run routes, stop quickly or lift a lot. It takes a while for your knee to trust your movements. You will find out what i mean. it's nothing you can control.
[QUOTE=LiftNPlay;1012675403]But why go into with any other mindset than: This will be the hardest thing I have done, and I have to go 100% everyday for 2+ years to even crack punt protection team (you get my point.)[/QUOTE]
That mindset in itself is setting yourself up for failure. Yes it is not going to be easy, but you have to have the mindset that you can be the guy the team needs and you have to show that to the coaches.
My suggestion is playing junior college ball man. In 2 years you can go play for a D-1 school and prove what you can do. I know quite a few people that did that. I personall walked on at a d-2 school last year, and decided to call it quits after that.
One of my brothers HS teammates walked on at UGA. He played RB/LB in high school and was able to walk on as a FB. Played practice squad for several years but at least by his senior year he was dressing for games and got to play in a few garbage time situations.
So it is possible even at a major program.
Now if you miss the tryouts I don't really know what to say, try talking to a coach but I wouldn't get my hopes up unless you can go in and show them a video of you running a 4.4 or something.
Wendler's article is very good. Keep in mind he had already been recruited to play Division I ball at Air Force, couldnt hack plebe year, and went somewhere else. So he is coming with a higher level of skill and ability then someone who hasnt played football in a while.
theres not many pure walkons on any team. im talking guys who come in for a walkon workout. plenty of preferred walkons on rosters and if you have decent film you should be able to secure one of those. guaranteed roster spot without the need to try out.
if you actually have to go through the tryout process youll want to have some eye catching physical attributes because chances are slim.
my school held tryouts during spring ball, fall camp and immediately post season. email the director of football or whoever manages the walk on program.