What do you think it takes to get to the next level? Is it making a few good plays on game day? Is it hitting a new PR in the weight room? I believe the answer is deeper than that. It is a mentality that you will do everything that it takes to get to the next level no matter how exhausting the process is and no matter how long it takes. This mentality is tied into many things that are needed to be done and shown in order to get to where you want to be.
Weight Room and Practice Field
If you want to be successful then you need to be competitive in the weight room and on the practice field. You need to have the mentality that you are going to do whatever it takes and will go through anything to get there. This means that if you aren't getting enough work from the school program workouts, then you need to find a gym and get better workouts there. If you notice that your feet arent moving as fast as you'd like them to, then you need to be putting in extra work after practice to work on your footwork. Anything that it takes, you need to be willing to do. Find your imperfetions and work as hard as you can to perfect them.
Leadership
Being a leader is one of the best things that you can do to get recruited. Coaches love to see prospects being a leader because this means that they are willing to fufill that role, they put the team first, and they are a great teammate. Leadership comes in many different fasions such as making sure everyone gets to practice on time, keeping teamates accountable in the classroom and in social life, and cleaning up the weightroom after a workout becuase you know it needs to be done.
Leadership can also exist outside of football and into the community. Volunteering in the community is not only a good thing to do as a person, but also a good thing to do as a football player. This puts an image in the communities eyes that will change the culture of the team if enough players are willing to do what it takes. Coaches see this whether you believe it or not. If you are a leader on the team and in the community, you have a lot better of a chance to get recruited over someone who is not.
Study Film and Playbook
This is one of the most important things things that you need to be doing if you want to play for a college team. College coaches look for players that have a really good understanding of the game and their position. This shows them that you will be able to handle a college playbook. If you know what you are doing and why you are doing it, then it will help on the field too because you can play faster without having to think about what you're doing. You may ask, how do you study film and the playbook?
In order to study film the correct way, you need to look deeper than you think you need to. When watching film, look for certain habbits that your opponent has. Look at what he does in certain situations. Also look at yourself and look at what you could do better to have a better play. This process over many weeks will allow you to have a better understanding of how to play the game and will help you excell at it. For the playbook, you need to have all of the plays drawn out and all of the possible defenses/offenses that you may see. You need to know what to do in every situation that you could be in. This knowledge paired with your understanding for the opponent will allow you to have many great games.
If you didn't notice, I did not mention one time that you need to have certain numbers in the weight room or you need to be a certain height to play college ball. If you are absolutely outstanding in the weight room and on the practice field, you are a leader, and you have vast knowledge about the game of football, you will stick out. Trust the process and trust yourself.
