The 2009 NFL draft is happening this Saturday and Sunday in New York City. Over the two days, almost 300 college football players will be selected to join the ranks of the professionals in the NFL. This selection into the NFL is a culmination of years of hard work, discipline and determination.
Although this is one of the biggest days of their young lives, most of the players being selected will not be in New York during the draft. Instead, many of them stay home, go fishing or hang out with their coaches at school waiting for that fateful phone call from a coach or GM to tell them they have been selected and will have a chance to play in the NFL in 2009.
In fact a total of nine prospects are going to be in New York, and the NFL is touting this as the most since 1996. Of the players showing up, two have a chance to be in the green room for an extended period of time, Josh Freeman QB from Kansas State and Michael Oher, Offensive Tackle from Mississippi. Both of these players have been climbing draft boards of the experts, but could just as easily spend most of the first round backstage without hearing their named called. This might be one reason more players don’t attend the draft – sitting backstage or in the crowd and not getting your name called as early as you thought is hard on the ego and potentially could be quite demoralizing.
But don’t the benefits outweigh the possibility of waiting around for an extra hour? Having fans cheer you as you make your way up to the stage, getting to shake the commissioners hand, and putting on your draft hat are things you would never forget. This is what you have worked so hard at and wouldn’t you want to be recognized for your skills? Being in New York for the draft, whether I was invited or not would be something I would need to do.
As a former University player, my dreams of walking up to the podium were extinguished pretty quickly due to injuries, and a lack of skill. Even so, after four years of playing my name was entered into pool of potential draftees of the CFL. I was excited just to see that, and if the CFL draft had been a public event instead of a conference call from the offices in Toronto I would have been there.
Live coverage of the draft starts Saturday at 4pm. I’ll be in New York attending the Draft – as a spectator, not a draftee, and will give you all my thoughts and opinions from the draft floor.
Although this is one of the biggest days of their young lives, most of the players being selected will not be in New York during the draft. Instead, many of them stay home, go fishing or hang out with their coaches at school waiting for that fateful phone call from a coach or GM to tell them they have been selected and will have a chance to play in the NFL in 2009.
In fact a total of nine prospects are going to be in New York, and the NFL is touting this as the most since 1996. Of the players showing up, two have a chance to be in the green room for an extended period of time, Josh Freeman QB from Kansas State and Michael Oher, Offensive Tackle from Mississippi. Both of these players have been climbing draft boards of the experts, but could just as easily spend most of the first round backstage without hearing their named called. This might be one reason more players don’t attend the draft – sitting backstage or in the crowd and not getting your name called as early as you thought is hard on the ego and potentially could be quite demoralizing.
But don’t the benefits outweigh the possibility of waiting around for an extra hour? Having fans cheer you as you make your way up to the stage, getting to shake the commissioners hand, and putting on your draft hat are things you would never forget. This is what you have worked so hard at and wouldn’t you want to be recognized for your skills? Being in New York for the draft, whether I was invited or not would be something I would need to do.
As a former University player, my dreams of walking up to the podium were extinguished pretty quickly due to injuries, and a lack of skill. Even so, after four years of playing my name was entered into pool of potential draftees of the CFL. I was excited just to see that, and if the CFL draft had been a public event instead of a conference call from the offices in Toronto I would have been there.
Live coverage of the draft starts Saturday at 4pm. I’ll be in New York attending the Draft – as a spectator, not a draftee, and will give you all my thoughts and opinions from the draft floor.
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