3 Tips for Recruiting: Kickers & Punters
Specialists often have the hardest times getting noticed by college recruiters and coaches.You often hear about kickers from a small school in Nebraska or Idaho that hit a 65-yard field goal and are listed as the number one kicker in their class on Rivals.com because of that kick. Kickers are also often the last position to get recruited and there are thousands of good kickers across the country. So,what can set you apart?
Here are three easy and simple things you can do to separate yourself from the rest:
Build it and they will call. If you can build a high-end highlight film or DVD, coaches will notice. All you need is a 3-5 minute DVD of your best kicks in games andpractice that is easy to see and professionally done. Visit as an example:http://kickingsystem.com/ethan-swerdlow.html.
Make sure your game film looks professional and that is not low-end film. Add your personal information such as SAT score, grades, phone number and school information at the beginning or on the DVD itself. Highlight your strengths, such as hang time on kickoffs or long field goals. Put your best stuff in the beginning.
Once you have your DVD, send it to at least 20 schools that interest you. Find out the name of the special teams coach or recruiting coordinator and include the DVD with your football resume. You have only one chance to make your first impression!
If you’re a rising senior or JUCO player, I recommend attending the college camps. Each Top 25 college football program will either have a “football camp” or a kicking camp in June or July. Sometimes you’ll be invited to attend by the coaches on staff; as an alternative, you can sign up online, as most schools list their camps on their athletic websites. There are numerous kicking events and combines out there, but the new rule that college coaches cannot attend them places even more emphasis on the summer camps.
I can tell you from experience, by running the San Diego State University Football Kicking Camp last summer, the entire staff was in attendance, with the head coach holding for placements. You’re guaranteed exposure at these camps. Sometimes colleges will just have you come in for a day and kick for a coupleof hours. Others, like Cal, have full-fledged kicking camp; it has a three-day kicking camp that includes instruction and lectures.
Study! I can’t tell you how many more doors you can open for yourself if you can raiseyour GPA or SAT scores. Making sure you are on pace for the NCAA clearinghouseand have all the requirements to graduate are easy steps to solidify your eligibility, but I cannot overemphasize the important role grades play in your acceptance to certain universities. Sometimes kickers and punters have to “walk-on” their first year and earn a scholarship. Getting into the school academically is a great way to help you get on the football team.
Lastly,if you’re an upcoming junior, senior or JUCO player, let your performance speak for itself. Acquiring great stats, kicking long field goals and setting records will only help you get noticed. Your high school coach will believe that you’recollege material and recommend you more to college coaches when they visit your school.
