I think I'm going to try out for the football team

"Slant6" (slant-6)
04/23/2016 at 22:20 • Filed to: None

I’m not a huge football fan, or even an acceptable athlete but I think I’m going to go to the walk on tryouts at the end of the summer. Just for fun. I’d like to try and train for it this summer. The chances of me getting on are very slim. Appalachians State is D1 and in the part that gets the bowl games, so the D1 people actually care about. I’m also a 5'9" former XC runner.

I probably could have made my high school team, we sucked and anyone that wanted to play was allowed to. I would have just for fun but I was the XC captain and wouldn’t leave my team for anything.

But trying out for a major college team that won a bowl game is kinda just like a joke for me, but at the same time it would be cool to actually make the team. But I won’t. But no one says I can’t try.

It should also be noted that I did not attend a single football game this year despite the tickets being included in my tuition.

DISCUSSION (25)

Trunk Impaired 318 > Slant6
04/23/2016 at 22:28

Being 5'9 you’re best chance would probably be as a slot receiver or a kick returner/special teams player.

Also, why not try out for the XC team?

itranthelasttimeiparkedit > Slant6
04/23/2016 at 22:29

Man I still remember watching that michigan game (was it 07?)

Go for it, that sounds fun as hell. I thought about doing that in school and you have a way better chance than I ever did

Slant6 > Trunk Impaired 318
04/23/2016 at 22:33

College is way more competitive for XC. I ran an 18:07 in high school, which put me at number 3 at my school for a short time but college the slowest guys are running 15s. So I guess you can say I’m just not good enough.

Maybe with football I can fill some weird position. I like playing games.

Trunk Impaired 318 > Slant6
04/23/2016 at 22:37

Fair enough, and credit to you for at least giving it a shot.

Slant6 > itranthelasttimeiparkedit
04/23/2016 at 22:38

Really I’m doing it for the experience. It’s not a common one and it cost me nothing. I would be stoked if I got on but as a bench kinda guy like an alternate so I wouldn’t risk a concussion or anything but still get the nice parking spot and the cool sweatshirt.

WRXforScience > Slant6
04/23/2016 at 22:46

I’m 6' and 250lbs, I haven’t run more than 50yds in the past 5 years. I’ve never been into running, but I’m sure I could compete at a high level if I trained for fun over the next 2-3 months. You know, just for the fun of it but I’m just doing it for the lolz.

This is what you sound like to someone with any idea about how much work, effort, and dedication football requires at any competitive level. Think about how difficult it would be for you to make the cross-country or track team at your school, then remember you have absolutely no experience with football.

Good luck.

Biggus Dickus (RevsBro) > Slant6
04/23/2016 at 22:52

You would likely need to put some of the lbs on if you were an XC runner. Anyway, best of luck!

Slant6 > WRXforScience
04/23/2016 at 22:53

I know I won’t make it, but my ultimate goal here is to just get to the point where I can physically try out. I know football probably takes a lot of work. I was pretty athletic back in high school and with a few months of exercise I’m sure I’d be considered athletic again. I still have a low resting heart rate and such. I’m sure there is some cross over with XC ability and football.

Really, though, your first paragraph hit it straight on. I have no idea what I’m doing.

Slant6 > Biggus Dickus (RevsBro)
04/23/2016 at 22:54

I’ve gained about 30 pounds since college started. Still not much though. But really, the tryouts are open so I’m not hurting anyone by just trying for fun.

AM3R shamefully returns > Slant6
04/23/2016 at 22:54

Hey if you make it you'll basically get a whole new wardrobe... Was thinking about walking on and playing D3 lacrosse. So much free gear!!!

Slant6 > AM3R shamefully returns
04/23/2016 at 22:55

I would do the ice hockey club team, everyone gets in but you have to buy your own gear.

Jack Does Cars > Slant6
04/23/2016 at 23:16

Enloe football still sucks, nothing has changed. My 5'7 Indian friend who weighs 150 soaking wet tried out for Enloe and got on. He dropped it immediately, but was accepted nonetheless.

Slant6 > Jack Does Cars
04/23/2016 at 23:17

yup. absolutely horrible. they tried to recruit from XC but we as a team declined.

Jack Does Cars > Slant6
04/23/2016 at 23:28

Make for good running backs, actually. But you have unstoppable football teams like Middle Creek and Fuquay, which have absolutely massive players on the teams that are fast and tough. We have a cross country runner on our football team, and he’s actually a punter.

Because Fuquay is our biggest rival (it’s an honor), the stadium can swell to 10,000 people on a Friday night. At the playoff game last a few months ago, the recorded entry was 13,000 and the fire department didn’t let anyone else inside. I did go to the Middle Creek v. Enloe game freshamn year and it was a total blowout.

Sadly, I won’t be going to public school next year so I’ll be missing out on the full, “Friday Night Lights”-like obsession over high school football, which kinda saddens me.

Biggus Dickus (RevsBro) > Slant6
04/23/2016 at 23:28

5'9" - fit 175 is solid playing weight for contact sports, if you can get to it. I played hockey at 5'11" - 180 for a long time.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > Slant6
04/23/2016 at 23:29

Start doing weights now, and I don’t mean the way most runners do them(and I say that as a runner); I mean like you’ll want to get big and vicious and strong as hell. Even the smallest guys you see on a collegiate football field are 170 pounds but often times they are fast and elusive.

Also, start sprinting, 50 yards again and again until you want to pee or pass out. In order to go faster, imagine a guy who weighs 250 pounds is barreling down on you and he’s going to dive into you cause that’s what’s going to happen.

And after all of that is said and done, remember that you don’t know how to take a hit, or hit someone else (let alone run routes, or catch a ball, or hold a ball); so tryouts might not just be miserable, they might actually be dangerous.

I don’t mean an ounce of the above to be discouraging but to let you know you probably would have to eat, sleep and breathe football in order to feel like you got something out of the tryouts experience.

Also, if you like running, don’t give up on it just yet. I went from being a 17:00 guy to a 15:30 guy in about a year when I barely squeaked on to a college d3 team(I was 25th at tryouts, and they took 24 but the 24th guy got injured before the team was finalized). Ive known guys to go from 18 flat to sub 16 in about a year with consistent good training.

Slant6 > Biggus Dickus (RevsBro)
04/23/2016 at 23:30

I’m an almost fit 175 right now. Still do about 10 miles a week of running, but that’s nothing compared to the past.

AM3R shamefully returns > Slant6
04/23/2016 at 23:41

Yeah I ended up playing a season of club because I thought practicing twice a day+lifting for D3 lacrosse was excessive as a walk on getting no money. Only did a season because it was expensive! Was saving up for my 328i at the time.

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > Slant6
04/24/2016 at 00:06

Good luck, but as a guy who played all the way up through high school, college is a completely different level. I’m 6' and was 245lbs my senior year but was wildly undersized as a lineman to even think about college ball. The best guys in my class went D3.

Not that you shouldn’t try, but the guys your competing with have likely been playing and training since they were 7 years old. It’s their life, they’re serious about it, and if you’re not prepared you’ll get hurt.

Slant6 > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch
04/24/2016 at 00:09

Yeah, I didn’t think about the getting hurt part. Most of my experience with sports has been not really contacty (although XC can be feirce out of the gate. Get metal spikes in your calf). Well, I can go until I feel unsafe.

I was never into sports much as a kid. I’m hoping I can get a peak of what it’s like, before I loose all touch with childhood.

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > Slant6
04/24/2016 at 00:21

I completely understand, I went from being a 3 season athlete to nothing, and I miss it. I just don’t want you to get hurt by someone who’s more serious.

yamahog > Slant6
04/24/2016 at 08:17

Lmfao that the guy who was just preaching “running superiority, I never lift” is about to try out for a college football team... Good luck!

TheRealBicycleBuck > Slant6
04/24/2016 at 10:12

I guy I knew played college football for four years, then worked with the team for another two years while he tried to pass the courses he needed to finally graduate. His goal? Go pro. That dream was crushed after his fourth season, but he loved the game so much that he couldn’t stay away. I suggested that he switch majors to a degree that would let him teach and coach high school football. It was then I learned he couldn’t pass the math courses required for every degree. After that conversation, I never saw him again. I wonder if he is still trying to pass math.

If you are doing this on a lark, it seems like a big waste of time and energy. If it is truly your passion, make sure it does something to further your life goals/plans. Otherwise, there are better uses of your time, energy, and health.

Thus says the guy wasting a Sunday morning on the internet.

Slant6 > yamahog
04/24/2016 at 10:46

I don’t know where you get the preaching part. Maybe my tone is lost in text but I don’t think I’m being as agresive as people are reacting.

Slant6 > TheRealBicycleBuck
04/24/2016 at 10:49

At this point I think I might just show up and watch.