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The Secrets to a Successful Recruiting Process of a Small Town Kansas Athlete

By: Jordan Irsik (2013 KJCCC CHAMPION, 2014 KCAC CHAMPION)
Growing up in a small town in Southwest Kansas, I often found myself in a constant
struggle to reach a goal and a dream that I had since I was a child: to play college football. I was
doing anything and everything to try to gain the attention of college football programs. During
this process I attracted the attention of some Division 1 programs. Yet, with a month left before
signing day, I still had no Division 1 offers. This caused me to differentiate from my original plan
by signing with a junior college. That decision would end up being one of the best decisions I
have ever made, and lead to an incredible experience that would change my life forever.
I am going to deliver YOU some facts. The odds of you playing Division 1 football is slim,
although it can still be done. 17 high school football players from Kansas signed with Division 1
schools in 2016, and there have only been 17 total in the last three years that have signed with
KState or KU on a football scholarship (kpreps.com). A lot of your hometown heroes you watch
on television are actually walkon athletes, meaning they are not receiving any financial
benefits from their university. The reality of it is, there are several great high school football
players that are talented enough to play division 1 football but dont. The good news is that there
are 27 college football programs in the state of Kansas that still offer great opportunities for
your education and your football experience at multiple different levels. And guess what? They
are way more likely to offer you a scholarship. My warning that I have told all of my high school
athletes is to not be turned off by the junior college or small schools.

If you do not have a Division 1 offer before signing day

there are multiple different options you can take. You could
walkon to the program of your choice. The walkon route
requires a lot of hard work because you will literally start off as
the lowest man on the depthchart. But, with hard work and a
good mindset, it is often a rewarding experience for the guys
who stick it out for all 4 years. The next option you can take is to
go the junior college (2year) route. Junior colleges in the state of
Kansas can offer a full books and tuition scholarship for football
players, making it very affordable.

WHAT JUNIOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL CAN DO

FOR YOU?
J
unior college football will offer
you better attention from your coaches
as a freshman, which can advance your
development more quickly than
someone at a 4year program. Junior
college football will also offer you WAY
more exposure than you were probably
receiving at a small high school.
Despite being a 3rdstring Linebacker/Defensive Back at Butler CC
(El Dorado, KS), I got interest from schools that had no interest in
me when I was in high school. What 4year programs understand about junior colleges is that
they develop good football players.
For instance, in 2014, Butler had 6 of their players from
Kansas sign with Division 1 Football Programs, of which none of them had previously attended
anything bigger than a 4A high school. The next option you can take is the smaller 4year
program (Division 2 or NAIA). These programs typically reward their studentathletes with
scholarships that also have an emphasis on ACADEMICS as well as athletics.

WHAT SMALL 4YEAR PROGRAMS CAN DO FOR YOU?

These programs typically have strong familylike atmospheres and give you a better
chance for playing time throughout your career. Youre also going to probably play for a very
good program. Kansas is notoriously known for having the best small college football in the

entire country. The MIAA (includes Pittsburg

State and Emporia State) has often been called,
the SEC of Division 2. These D2 and NAIA
programs routinely compete for their
divisions national title every year, as well as
produce multiple professional football
players. During my time at Ottawa University
(NAIA), it was not unusual to have NFL scouts
wandering around the facilities on a weekly
basis during our KCAC championship season
that eventually led to a bid to the NAIA national
championship series.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO GET YOURSELF EXPOSURE:

HARD WORK:
College football teams are comprised of the best football player from their
respective high school team. You are not a big fish in a small pond anymore. Start
perfecting what you do best in your training routine in high school to make yourself a
better player. The earlier you perfect your attention to detail, the more prepared you will
be for the next level.
FILM:
Another reality that people fail to realize is that college coaches recruit based off
one thing: FILM. You can be the biggest, strongest, and fastest man in the state, but if you
cant play ball you wont get an offer.
Take it from me, who has actually sat in a college
programs staff room and helped through the recruiting process.
Those combines that
you typically pay for and allegedly help provide exposure are typically ignored by
college coaches, because numbers cant tell a coach if a kid can play. Put a highlight
film together and emailing college coaches (their emails are available on their
programs websites) a link to your film and some basic info about you. If they like what
they see they will typically get back to you.
ATTEND CAMPS:
The best way to help you develop individual fundamentals and skills in
my experience was by attending skills camps. By attending collegehosted camps, you
are giving those coaches a chance to evaluate you firsthand. Also, it helps you create
connections with the coaches, and sometimes it is WHO YOU KNOW that ultimately leads
to that scholarship offer.
PAPERWORK:
Many people are typically unaware that there are several guidelines to
playing college football. For one, you have to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center (D1,
D2, D3, & JUCO), or NAIA Eligibility Center. Without this registration you are not eligible to

play football at the collegiate level. You can register with these online with these links:
http://web3.ncaa.org/ECWR2/NCAA_EMS/NCAA.jsp
(NCAA),
http://www.playnaia.org/eligibilitycenter
(NAIA). With these registrations come
requirements of documentation of your school work. This is mandatory because of GPA
and ACT requirements by these divisions. It is important to work hard at school and keep
your grades up if you want to be a college football player. This is often neglected by
studentathletes in high school. If you work as hard in the classroom as you do on the
field it will open up many more doors that otherwise would not be there.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

If you want to be a college football player, there is a place for you to play if you do the
right things.
These suggestions and information were composed by current/former college
football athletes and coaches who have all had very successful careers. If you have any
questions about the recruiting process feel free to contact me:
Coach Jordan Irsik
Phone: (620)3350153
Email:
jordanirsik@gmail.com