Just 0.23% of high school players go on to make a living playing professional football. I’m one of them. In a room full of 400 players, 399 would go on to work “regular jobs.” There would be one like me. My paychecks eventually came from the St. Louis Rams, New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles. The game we all played went on to pay my bills.
But what is the functionality of high school football for someone who might end up working in finance, on an oil rig or running a small business? You can’t put it on your résumé. Running 46 counter won’t help you pass the bar exam, but I would argue that the life skills acquired playing high school football belong on a résumé.
Being a high school athlete of any kind provides an opportunity to face adversity, develop a work ethic, improve self-esteem and learn the value of teamwork. Being a student-athlete means managing your time accordingly. Juggling responsibilities on and off the field.