Although it’s unlikely, some division three football players have made their way to the NFL. Currently, there are six NFL players who played college football in Division Three.
To get on an active NFL roster, division three football players often have to take long, winding roads.
Division three football players often spend years on practice squads and other leagues before they get a shot at the NFL.
All that said, some of these D3 players have made the NFL and had very successful careers.
What’s the Most Effective Way to Get Noticed by the NFL?
You may wonder how D3 football players get noticed by NFL scouts now that you know they can make it.
Here’s how a division three football player can get on a scout’s radar and get noticed.
Outplay your Competition by a Large Margin
Division three athletes have to play significantly better than the rest of the league if they want to catch an NFL scout’s eye.
Many of these players won’t make it to the NFL, so if you make it to the next level, you’ll face better competition.
You have to dominate division three to prove you can play against NFL talent.
An NFL scout will take a look if your stats and tape are good enough. They don’t discriminate against talent, so if a Division Three player is good enough, they’ll check him out.
Display Elite Athleticism
Long-shot NFL prospects are often extremely athletic, which is a common theme.
NFL teams have drafted players that haven’t shown much football talent but have elite athleticism, regardless of whether they started playing football late or didn’t have proper coaching.
Easily comparable tests are the most effective way to demonstrate athleticism.
NFL combine exercises are one of the most effective ways to determine prospects’ athleticism. Bench press, broad jump, and forty yard dash are examples of common exercises used to measure athleticism.
A division three player who puts up impressive numbers in any of these exercises may catch the attention of an NFL scout.
It is thought that athletes like these already have the tools to succeed, they just need guidance.
Enter Other Pro Football Leagues
D3 football players can also make the NFL by getting noticed in other professional leagues.
There are rarely scouts at college football games for division three players.
However, if these players can get into the CFL or the XFL, they will have a better chance of getting noticed.
Pro league players can make better prospects by spending a few more years perfecting their craft and filling out their frames.
NFL players have been brought over from professional leagues like the CFL.
This concludes our guide on D3 players in the NFL. To see more similar content, check out our guide on D2 players in the NFL.