All that glitters is not gold. This is something that high school players can relate to the most. After all, people think that it’s an easy ride for them. But the stats say something else. Looks like most of the young chaps’ dreams fall prey to some standards that have been set for ages now.

The insider comes up with a detailed analysis of the main positions in football and the criteria that make one eligible or not. However, the ones who made the rules can’t be blamed either since a lot of the athletes’ performances depend on their body figures. 

High school athletes and their dreams on the line

Well, as a football enthusiast, you must be aware of high school players like Julian “JuJu” Lewis landing it big in college football. But sadly, that’s just one side of the coin. Here, insider Ken Jones dropped in with a heartbreaking reality check that makes up for the other side of the coin. The caption of the tweet says it all, “Too many undersized high school football players give up on their dream of playing college football because they aren’t recruited by NCAA Division I or II programs.” The caption was followed by a four-grid table with the numbers. The purpose? 

For the high school players to measure themselves up against college football players’ standards before they make the big transition. You would be surprised to know that the eligibility criteria between Division I and Division II programs are that of split hair. For instance, for an average quarterback in DI-FBS programs, the ideal height and weight should be 6’2’’and 207 lbs, for NCAA DI-FCS programs it’s 6’1’’ and 199 lbs and for DII programs it’s 6’1’’ and 195 lbs. So how would you have felt, coming fresh off high school, with dreams in your eyes, and getting snubbed by only one or two inches? But the barriers are made for a reason. 

Rough path for high school athletes

The insistence on prototypical height and weight at the quarterback position is something that has been of grave interest ever since the advent of the sport. It goes like, 6’4”, check. 225 pounds, check. Big hands, check. That’s because tall guys can come up with some extraordinary throws. The greatest example is Peyton Manning throwing a bullet over a lineman’s head, low to the receiver’s ankles—easy. 

Now imagine the same ball is thrown by Drew Brees, will that be as smooth as Manning? No, never. His throw can’t possibly start at the required high angle. The smaller guys seem to struggle when it comes to passing efficiency. It’s high school trigonometry, folks! While height and body weight play crucial factors for the quarterback position, for the WR position there has been a big debate.

Many say size matters for wide receivers but when we look at football’s most productive receivers like Calvin Johnson, more than the size, it’s the speed that does the talking. But again it’s the tall and bulky receivers who move the chains and put the ball in the right position. So for the high school athletes, it’s a complex play of fate, numbers, and talents! 

Meanwhile, if you like to get some quick updates on the NFL, you can check on the latest episode of the Think Tank podcast.