Interested Walk On Question

[Txballa]

I'm an interested walk on, but on the site it says those interested in walking on are not eligible to if they have not played organized football within the last 2 years. I graduated high school in 2005 and played football in fall 2004. That means the past 2 football season, I have not played. I played in a flag football league Fall 2006. I'm not sure if there are any exceptions to this rule, but from looking at the roster, it seems there are plenty of transfers, and after looking at their previous school's roster, they were not listed. Anyone with some insight please let me know.

[NT80]

I'm an interested walk on, but on the site it says those interested in walking on are not eligible to if they have not played organized football within the last 2 years. I graduated high school in 2005 and played football in fall 2004. That means the past 2 football season, I have not played. I played in a flag football league Fall 2006. I'm not sure if there are any exceptions to this rule, but from looking at the roster, it seems there are plenty of transfers, and after looking at their previous school's roster, they were not listed. Anyone with some insight please let me know.

First, for an official evaluation, you need to contact the NT athletic department regarding your football interest:

http://www.meangreensports.com/ViewArticle...p;ATCLID=366998

Next, here is some walk on info from an article in the NT Daily:

NT football adds 26 walk-ons

By: Monica C. Mendez

Posted: 4/26/07

NT football added 26 walk-ons to the team at the end of the spring football season, said special teams coach Robert Drake. More walk-ons are expected to join as the fall semester approaches.

"Most of our players who are walk-ons do not have any other offers," Drake said.

Walk-on players are players that were not asked by the NT coaching staff to immediately join the team, Drake said. Some of them are the athletes who asked the coaches if they could try out, in hopes of joining the Mean Green football program.

"These guys that approach them have it a little more stringent," Drake said.

Linebacker Derek Mendoza, Houston senior, said the athletes in the tryout program have to workout harder than other players already on scholarship and have to put in the extra effort for about six months prior to joining the team.

If NT coaches are in need of a few more players, they will ask local high school coaches for their recommended players, Drake said. He said he also asks other coaches for tips on good players. These players may attend tryouts as well.

"These are the guys that other coaches have overlooked," Drake said.

Drake said completing the tryout stage is no easy task. He also said most of the athletes will report for tryouts in poor condition.

"It is a wake-up call for them," Drake said. "It is a lot more demanding."

The walk-on process is a long and tedious one, Drake said. Technically speaking, there are three types of walk-ons and keeping track of them is a chore in itself, Drake said.

First, the preferred walk-ons begin their tryouts in August. Next, the invited athletes begin their tryouts in September. Finally, the unsought players begin the second or third week of the fall semester.

These players will work for the entire fall season toward making the roster. In addition to the rigorous tryout process, roster hopefuls must maintain a 2.5 grade-point average or higher, the same as the players who are on the team.

"Walk-ons have to be invited to two-a-days," Mendoza said.

If the athletes do well and prove themselves during the tryout phase, they will be asked to attend two-a-day practices, Mendoza said. If the athlete is successful in two-a-day practices and during the football season, the player might then be added to the roster, Drake said.

"Once they make the roster, they become a part of the team," Drake said.

Wide receiver Casey Fitzgerald, Red Oak junior, said he joined the tryout program his freshman year of college. The following spring, he was asked to come back, Fitzgerald said. Now he is part of the team.

"The hardest part of being a walk-on was not actually being on the team and still having to workout," Fitzgerald said.

Some athletes will have their names added to the Mean Green list at the end of the spring season. Other potentials will have to wait longer and push harder for the fall, Drake said.

"They may never make it to the team," Drake said.

Some athletes never make the roster. Those who do have the opportunity to be placed on scholarship, Drake said.

Wide receiver Isaiah Smith, Denton junior, has yet to gain a scholarship but said he wants to eventually achieve one.

"It is my goal," Smith said.

Mendoza said the other players already on scholarship were very accepting of his coming onto the team as a walk-on. He said he was one of the preferred walk-ons and is currently on scholarship.

According to NCAA rules, 85 scholarship players are allowed on the team in the fall. Drake said 20 walk-ons would be added as of Aug. 5, giving NT 105 players. Once the school year begins, the team will cap off at 120 players, Drake said.

"I'm just trying to stay with it," Fitzgerald said.

Edited May 20, 2007 by NT80

[Baby Arm!]

I'm an interested walk on, but on the site it says those interested in walking on are not eligible to if they have not played organized football within the last 2 years. I graduated high school in 2005 and played football in fall 2004. That means the past 2 football season, I have not played. I played in a flag football league Fall 2006. I'm not sure if there are any exceptions to this rule, but from looking at the roster, it seems there are plenty of transfers, and after looking at their previous school's roster, they were not listed. Anyone with some insight please let me know.

Have you been enrolled in college since fall of 2005. NCAA rules give you five years from the day you enroll in college to play four seasons. If you've been enrolled since fall 2005, you've only got 3 years of eligibility left

but contact the Ath. Dept. They can answer any of your questions much better than anyone here.

[rcd12]

Txballa,

The last staff under Dickey did enforce this rule and I was unable to tryout because of it. However, I was allowed to tryout in Spring 2007 under the new staff so I don't think that this rule is now enforced all that rigidly. I personally think that the rule is bs because there are zero other colleges at any level that I know of that enforce a regulation like this one. Don't the boys over at BYU leave school for 2 or 3 years at a time for religious missions and are still physically able to play. And the guy from South Carolina was 39 and walked on as a WR (although he was coming out of the military). I believe considering the way the tryouts are structured that if you explain your situation to the new staff that they should let you tryout. Although I can tell you that nothing about the rule was ever mentioned before, during, or after the tryout by any of the coaches. If you have any questions feel free to private message me.

Edited May 20, 2007 by rcd12

[buff64]

Don't know about the two yr. rule, each year you see several players that have been in military service playiing college ball . I know of one that starting playing at age 29. Maybe it's just a North Texas rule.

[Txballa]

I appreciate all the responses, they were very helpful.