Football has become America’s national sport. Perhaps the only one that could probably compete for this title is basketball. Because of this, most colleges are willing to invest in their football players in the form of tuition fee grants.

However, being able to get a college football scholarship is very hard as the process is very competitive. With up to 1.1 million football players from high school hoping to get one, there are only at most 184 scholarship grants available for college football players. Unfortunately, the actual available slots go lower than this if you would consider that there are already senior college players who had already availed a scholarship.

It is therefore a must that you should set your sights on an athletic scholarship early on. Hone your skills so that you will be able to be noticed by the recruiters. Furthermore, make sure to keep your grades high as almost all of the colleges require a certain GPA to qualify for their football program.

The best part of availing a college football scholarship is being able to get a college degree for free while playing the sport you love. So get in the huddle and blitz your way to that college diploma.

Here are 5 common mistakes football players make when getting recruited:

1. Only wanting to play big-time DI football. Some athletes let their ego get in the way of evaluating their true talent. There is nothing wrong with wanting to play at a top level school but these athletes are very few, less than 1 in 100. If you are not one of these, don’t limit your choices and shut the door on other opportunities.
2. Believing everything a college coach says. Football recruiting is a game. The competitive nature of  the sport makes for a live or die situation for coaches because their job often depends on it. They will string athletes along until a better player shows up right up until signing day. You as an athlete need to play the game on the coaches level and determine the true level of interest from a college coach.
3. Getting a recruiting letter and thinking schools are interested. Thousands of letters are sent out by each college. These letters do not initially mean anything. What you choose to do with them from there is up to you. Some athletes will receive dozens of letters from a football program but never receive so much as a phone call from a coach. The process needs to be initiated by you to increase success.
4. Not willing to play other positions. Coaches often look less at what position your currently play and look at you more as an athlete that can fit into their system of play. Too many athletes think they are only a receiver, not a defensive back, or only want to be a tight end and not an offensive tackle. You must be willing to play wherever and whenever to increase your opportunities.
5. Giving up during the recruiting process. The recruiting season can be tedious, stressful and hard on your confidence. Those athletes who make it are not afraid to get turned down by colleges. They keep on searching and fighting for recognition from colleges even if they have not yet been rewarded with an offer.

You can play football in college and earn a scholarship. You have to be willing to do whatever it takes and take a no-holds-barred approach to your recruiting. You have worked too hard up to this point to let it slip away because of mistakes you make off the field towards recruiting.

Once coaches start communicating with you, you need to keep the communication lines open by sending them football recruiting updates. When they write or call you, they will usually ask you to take some type of action. They may ask you for game footage, for you to fill out a questionnaire and return it, or they may ask you for photos, etc. I hate to sound too obvious here, but whatever they ask you to do, do it right away!

Once you go through this initial contact, you may not hear from them for a while, especially if you are a freshman, sophomore, or junior. To make sure you stay on their radar screen and they don’t forget about you, make sure you send them updates every so often.

When To Send Updates And What To Send

I suggest sending your football recruiting updates before the season begins, mid-season, and at the end of your high school season. You can also give them an update on your summer team status after the summer season ends. Just make sure you stay in contact.

On these updates, you want to send them key statistics, your outstanding accomplishments, or any newspaper articles written about you. Remember, you have to be your own marketer and promote, unless you are blessed with a coach who takes care of this process for you.

Keep Your Updates Brief

Keep your football recruiting updates to one page. Just like with your cover letter and athletic resume, you want to keep it short and to the point. If your updates get too long and detailed, they will most likely end up sitting on the desk of the coach and never being read. The payoff for sending these updates is tremendous. In fact, it just may put you in a position to earn an athletic scholarship!