You know about the former Arkansas players who were selected in the NFL draft, from second-round pick Hunter Henry (San Diego Chargers) to Brandon Allen (Jacksonville Jaguars) in the sixth round.
Five Razorbacks were among 253 players selected, including this year's Mr. Irrelevant, Kalan Reed, who went last to the Tennessee Titans. But what about area hopefuls who went three days last week without hearing their names called?
Those players included Hunter Kissinger and Mitch Smothers, two Springdale guys who each earned degrees while playing Division 1 football. Smothers is a former Bulldog who played at Arkansas, and Kissinger is a former Wildcat who played at Louisiana-Monroe.
Smothers is still waiting, but Kissinger received a phone call from the New York Jets shortly after the draft while shooting baskets with a friend. They wanted him in New York on a tryout basis at a minicamp that ends this afternoon.
Kissinger (6-foot-3, 236 pounds) must make a strong showing with the Jets, who drafted linebackers with two of their top three selections. New York needs help at linebacker behind David Harris, a 10-year veteran and an All-Pro at the inside position. Kissinger also plays inside, and he'll have to show some promise on special teams to make the final roster.
"I had a couple of other offers but my agent, J.R Carroll, and I decided the Jets looked like the best fit," said Kissinger, who also received interested from Dallas and the Los Angeles Rams. "At least I got my foot in the door."
It's a longshot for sure, but hopefully, Kissinger will have a Rudy moment today and be invited back for more offseason workouts with the Jets. If not, he has other options.
Not only did Kissinger and Smothers perform at a high level, they took advantage of their educational opportunities in college. That's imperative for players whose future may not include professional sports.
"If nothing happens with the NFL, I'll turn my attention to other things," said Smothers, who graduated from Arkansas in December with a degree in hotel and restaurant management.
Kissinger earned his degree in finance before the start of his senior season on the field, where he made first-team All-Sun Belt Conference. Kissinger finished second in Division I in tackles (12.1 per game) and likely would've led the nation had he not missed the first two games because of gallbladder surgery.
In his final appearance in college, Kissinger made 15 tackles, intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble in a 52-35 victory over New Mexico State.
"If the NFL football doesn't work out, I'll put my degree to work," said Kissinger, whose 133 tackles were the most by a Louisiana-Monroe player since 1998.
Kissinger credits Arkansas, and especially Razorbacks strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert, for helping him prepare for his shot in the NFL. Kissinger participated in the Pro Day at Arkansas and trained for weeks with Smothers and others under Herbert, who pushed them hard during workouts.
"I'm very grateful for Arkansas and coach Herbert, especially," Kissinger said. "He helped transform my body to where I was able to turn in a pretty good performance at Pro Day. I was pretty excited with the numbers I put up."
Kissinger is one of only a few native Arkansans hoping to make the transition from college to the NFL this season. Only Henry (Little Rock) and Kenneth Dixon (Strong), a fourth-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens, are expected to see playing time. The odds are against Kissinger, Allen (Fayetteville) and Zac Brooks (Jonesboro), a seventh-round pick by Seattle, but it can be done.
Former Arkansas tight end Jason Peters signed as a free agent with Buffalo in 2004 and became an all-pro after he was switched to offensive tackle. Former Texarkana High School and Missouri Southern quarterback Rod Smith developed into an all-pro receiver after he signed as a free agent with Denver in 1994. Smith played 13 seasons with the Broncos, where he is still the only undrafted player to eclipse 10,000 receiving yards for his NFL career.
So, it's possible, especially for guys who possess work ethic and talent like Kissinger, who led Har-Ber to a state championship in 2009. But life without football would not devastate Smothers or Kissinger, who married his longtime girlfriend, Maggie Rutledge, on April 16. The two met in junior high in Springdale and maintained a long-distance relationship when Kissinger was at ULM and Rutledge was at Central Arkansas studying to be a teacher.
Hunter proposed Feb. 6 and Maggie said yes, which is vastly more important than the Jets' answer today.
Sports on 05/08/2016