Football question

swewe

5-Year Member
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Sep 7, 2011
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12
Does anyone know how many preferred walk on football players the air force brings in every year, or do they even offer any at all.
 
I don't know what a prefered walk on is, but two of my squadmates are walk on's. Likeliness of you getting cut at the end of the year is sinificant, not to be a negataive nancy, but a great way to relax the hardships of freshman year.
 
There's no such thing as a "Preferred" walk on. Mainly because the academies don't have athletic scholarships. They do however have walkons. At the end of Basic Training, the coaches will announce that anyone interested in showing what you got is welcome to try. You'll basically attend a practice where they'll have you perform. They'll either let you be on the team or not.

Remember; because they don't give scholarships for football, they aren't limited to how many players they recruit. But they are still limited by NCAA rules to how many are on the team. So instead of the normal 20+/- recruits like a normal school, they will recruit 50-60 at air force. (Not counting walk-ons). Before the season starts, they will lose about 10 of those. The remaining freshman will usually play JV. (They play against FCS and Jr. Colleges). A couple of freshman will be on the Varsity (FBS D1 team). Usually about another 10 will quit because of the academics, military studies, and football is too much for them. That gets them down to about 30-35. After the season, during spring practice, they will lose another 10 or so. By the end of the 2nd year, there will be about 20 left from that class. By the senior year, there will be about 15-18 seniors on the team. It's a tough life for a cadet to balance school and athletics.

On the good side, it's not like losing a scholarship in a civilian school. If you're not on the team any more, you're still in school. Some athletes get through basic training and decide already that they don't want to do the academy's academics and the sport and they don't ever play. So yes, they allow walk-ons. It's basically a weekend tryout. They know already what they're looking for as in positions, size, speed, etc... Just a matter if you're what they're looking for. best of luck.
 
For the class of 2010, there were roughly 30 or so who tried to walk-on to the team. Only one person was accepted, and he quit after his sophomore season because it took up too much time and he wasn't going to be playing anyway.
 
Just curious... does this apply to soccer as well? recruiting? tryout for walkons?
 
How many freshmen football players did they bring in for the class of 2010
 
Yes, ALL SPORTS. The academy recruits and has "Blue-Chip" athletes. All that means is that they've seen them play and/or know their high school accomplishments, and they are automatically recruited onto the team. They don't have to "Try-Out". But as i said earlier, this doesn't guarantee ANY of them of STAYING on the team. That's a season by season affair. Some players quit on their own, some are cut from the team.

But yes, all the teams allow walk on "Try-outs". Mainly football does theirs right at the end of BCT. That's because their season starts first. The other sports allow you to come out later on. After the school year starts.
 
swewe,

I don't know the exact answer, but it was quite a few. That was back with DeBerry still, and he enjoyed having a ton of players. When Calhoun took over, he cut a bunch of people that DeBerry had kept
 
Just be sure to have everything set up ahead of time. I know a cadet who wanted to play soccer but could not get an escort to try-outs when she was a basic.
 
Just be sure to have everything set up ahead of time. I know a cadet who wanted to play soccer but could not get an escort to try-outs when she was a basic.

When the coaches come to BCT, or after BCT, to allow for Walk-On try-outs, it is an organized event. "As is EVERYTHING" in the military. For someone not to be allowed to go to the "Try-Out", most likely means that when the official request went around by the coach for those interested, S/He did not make their intentions known at the right time. And when the time came, S/He was not permitted to go to it.

Definitely make you intentions known. IF you receive an appointment, contact the coach ahead of time during your senior year. NCAA rules are very specific about how and when a coach can even talk to you. However; you can contact them any time you'd like. So get your appointment; then email the coaches; mention how you'd like to try-out for the team. Ask what THEIR PROCESS is for such a thing. Send them a portfolio/resume of your athletic accomplishments. Best of luck. mike....
 
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