Top Famous NFL Footballers that Didn’t Go to College

American higher education values sport achievements a lot. Especially when it comes to football, it is considered to be a path to college spirit and good feeling. Also, football helps to build a reputation and boost university status. Therefore, most NFL players come from an NCAA team. But as there are no eligibility rules that specify the college education needed to become an NFL player, some team members don’t have a degree. Footballers often decide not to go to college because higher education is not mandatory for NFL players.

On the contrary, some NFL players who went to college are proud of their alma mater. They believe that college education made them feel more confident about their future. Studying at college helped to broaden their outlook and get useful connections with people. Some football players also believe that having a degree expands career options when their path in football ends.

Those who combine professional sport and studying at college face a lot of challenges. It is really difficult to succeed in both spheres of life and achieve great results. Therefore, students need to look for some options that will make their life easier. They often turn to professional writing services or ask peers for help. Unfortunately, some of them copy others’ works to save time, which leads to negative consequences. One of the most common reasons why students get expelled today is due to plagiarism. Not to put your degree at a risk, you should always check your work for plagiarism with the help of EduBirdie. This plagiarism checker is viewed as the best online tool that detects copying of another’s written work. By using it, you can make sure that the assignment you are going to submit is 100% original. Don’t neglect this important step and always check works for uniqueness.

But if you are one of those students who preferred another option instead of going to college, you might be interested in the career paths of NFL players that avoided the NCAA.

Raymond Seals

Raymond Seals came to the NFL with no college football experience. As Raymond said in some of his interviews, he didn’t think of playing football professionally, especially in the NFL. But one day, his teacher persuaded him to call a bunch of teams to get a tryout and that’s how he got his first contract.  Raymond Seals is a former football defensive end in the NFL who was inducted into the American Football Association’s Semi-Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992.

Eric Swann

Eric Swann was chosen in the NFL draft without having played college football. It’s still unknown why he didn’t attend a college, but one of the possible reasons could be that Eric had Attention Deficit Disorder. Therefore, he struggled with tests and failed 8 times to get the necessary 700 points in the SATs. Despite the fact that he couldn’t enter a college, Eric Swann signed the richest contract ever signed by a Cardinals player in history in 1998.

Sav Rocca

Sav Rocca switched to an NFL career after playing Australian rules football for Collingwood and North Melbourne. He became the oldest rookie in league history as he started playing for the Philadelphia Eagles at the age of 36.

As you see, it’s possible to build a successful career in football even if you don’t have a degree. The examples of top NFL players, such as Raymond Seals, Eric Swann, Sav Rocca prove that it’s necessary to go through NCAA to reach high achievements. These professional footballers had their own unique path that made them famous all over the world. Despite that, you should think twice about whether you need a degree or not. Think about the chance that you will have a desire to change a career in the future. Consider all the advantages and disadvantages of not studying at college. Make sure that you won’t regret your choice in ten or twenty years. Of course, it’s never too late to study, but it is definitely better to go to college when you are still young, full of energy, and have no family commitments. It’s only up to you to decide what path to choose on your way to professional triumph, but your decision must be well-weighed. So, don’t rush yourself while making it!

Author’s BIO

Emma Rundle is a sports journalist and academic writer. She’s been working at a sports magazine for over 5 years, so she has interviewed many famous sportspeople. Emma especially likes to learn about the professional and personal life of popular footballers, so she shares interesting facts about them on her own blog.