You are a little concerned because all you ever hear is scouts and coaches go on and on about how important it is to get those five-star athletes.
Listen to fans talk on signing day and in the offseason and they are salivating over the fact that their team just signed 10 guys with five stars and another eight with four stars.
You never hear them talk about the guys with one or two stars. Once in a while a three-star recruit gets mentioned by a fan. But only in passing.
Take all of that into consideration and I get the concern. You think there is no way you are ever going to get the chance to be mentioned in the same breath as the best of the best to ever play the game. You worry that maybe you won’t ever get a shot at the NFL.
And yes, let’s all be real. Only a tiny fraction of those who play football ever make it to the league and have a sustained career.
But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a shot. Give it all you got, and along the way, keep the story of Ed Reed in the back of your mind.
Reed played safety for the Baltimore Ravens. He played for them for 11 seasons. He won a Super Bowl.
His 64 interceptions are the seventh-most in NFL history. His career interception return yard total of 1,590 is an NFL record.
He is headed to the Hall of Fame. A first-ballot selection.
And guess what?
He was a two-star recruit at Miami who went on to help the Hurricanes win a national title in 2001. His 21 career picks is still a school record.
When he was drafted by Baltimore, a headline in the paper stated that Reed was solid but not sizzling.
Not exactly the words that would lead you to believe Reed was destined for greatness in the NFL.
Yet, here he is. More than a decade later. A perfect example of someone who defied the odds. A player who probably ended up more successful than many of the guys rated higher than him as a recruit.
Reed isn’t the only player in football history who didn’t have five stars and still succeeded.
There are countless others. Do a little research. You’ll find them.
But Reed is the most relevant example today because he is headed to the hall of fame. Never mind that the odds told everyone the only way Reed is going to Canton is if he buys a ticket to tour the hall.
Just remember, the odds don’t define. They can bring you down or you can choose to rise above.
The choice is yours.
Whether you end up Division I, Division II, Division III, don’t sweat it. The opportunities to be great are there if you take advantage of them.
And whatever you do, don’t sweat the stars. Look at them in the sky, but don’t pay too much attention to the number of stars next to your name.
They don’t mean much in the end.
Reed proves as much.
