The following is an open letter to the student-athletes who’ll sign letters of intent on Wednesday.
Congratulations. You’ve made it.
You’re going to play college football and some of you will receive a scholarship to help pay for your education. It’s a dream many of us who enjoy sports have had but never fulfilled.
We are both envious and happy for you.
Most of the attention on Wednesday will be at Fayetteville High School, where Austin Allen, Brooks Ellis, and Alex Brignoni are expected to sign with Arkansas. It will be a day you three will never forget.
But whether you sign with the Razorbacks, Arkansas State Red Wolves or even the Arkansas-Monticello Boll Weevils, be appreciative of your opportunity and take advantage of it.
I know some of you are going to schools other than Arkansas because the Razorbacks did not offer. That’s OK because there is no rule in this state that says you have to play for the Razorbacks to get to the NFL.
Maybe you’ll be like Rod Smith of Texarkana, who played quarterback at Missouri Southern before catching on as a free agent wide receiver with the Denver Broncos. Smith played 14 years in the NFL, won two Super Bowls, and he is the only undrafted player in the history of the league to finish with at least 10,000 yards receiving in his career.
His bust now sits in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Maybe you’ll be like Cortez Kennedy, an overweight defensive lineman who drew little attention after he graduated from Rivercrest High School in Wilson. Kennedy got serious about football at Northwest Mississippi Community College and later played for Miami.
Kennedy played 11 years and he too is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Perhaps a few of you will begin your career like Brandon Burlsworth of Harrison, who had to walk on at Arkansas to fulfill his dream of being a Razorback. Burlsworth became an All-American and a first-round draft choice of the Indianapolis Colts before he was killed in a car accident in 1999. Yet, he still inspires young people today.
Even if you beat the long odds and make it to the NFL, keep in mind that nearly 60 percent of jobs in the U.S. economy today require a college education. So take your education seriously.
The first step begins on Wednesday when you sign a college letter of intent.Congratulations again and good luck.
We are all pulling for you.
RICK FIRES IS A SPORTS WRITER FOR NWA MEDIA.