How to Become a Pro Football Player

Video Transcript

"How you doing, I'm Ryan McCann and I'm going to tell you how to become a pro football player. First of all, you got to want it because it's not easy. You got to really want to make the commitment and work hard to get to that level. Second of all you have to have the ability, physical ability and you got to, like I said, go back to working hard and maximizing your potential. It helps to have played college football, gain the experience. To play professional football you don't necessarily have to play at a big school. If you perform highly at a lower level, say a Division 1AA or Division 2 even Division 3, if you're good enough you'll still get a shot to get an opportunity to work out for these teams and if you're good enough, you'll play and then once you make the team and you perform again at that level and beat somebody out, then you'll be a pro football player. A great example of that is Terrell Owens who played at University of Tennessee in Chattanooga, a small 1AA school in the Southern Conference but he's a physical specimen and he got a workout with a team and does what he does now. Word gets out if you're a prospect then at the end of your senior season there's a combine where all scouts come out and they put you through a bunch of tests and rigmarole and then if you're lucky enough to get drafted, get a nice little paycheck and then you'll sign a contract with a team doesn't guarantee that you will make the team and play that year, but you will be at that level. The combine consists of speed tests, running the 40 yard dash, strength tests such as bench press, vertical leap and mental tests as well, the Wonderlic test is a famous test that coaches put quarterbacks through to see if they're smart enough to play at that level. The Wonderlic test is full of, kind of like IQ questions. If you're running at an 8 mile pace and you got to go 4 miles, half way through you jump in a car going 30 miles an hour, how long does it take you to get there? Stuff like that. Simple math and its also timed so how fast you can go through these problems. Usually at the end of your senior season, you'll get a sports agent and they represent you in signing a contract. They can't do a whole lot to be honest, really your ability speaks for itself. They can help get you appointments and combines with individual teams and workouts but it really comes down to you performing at the end. And that's why at the end to become a professional football player, you got to want it, you got to work hard and you got to kick some ass."