Is it possible for a 28 year old to play football (semi-pro or pro)?
I haven't played football since high school, and I got post season conference honors. I was recruited by a couple colleges, but never pursued (tuition being too expensive). I've been thinking of taking a chance to try playing again. Is it possible? I know I'd have to work really hard really quick, but just wondering if it's possible. I know my time is waning since clubs don't usually look for players older than mid-thirties - at least typically. I'd love to take a chance at being half back, despite playing defensive lineman in high school. I'm 6'1" and 280 lbs. I used to weigh 230 or so, but obviously gained some weight. I guess I should really say 29 year old, since my birthday is in July.
2013-02-17T21:32:26Z
James, if you would have looked at my description closer, I said I played defensive lineman in high school - not half back. Playing half back is my GOAL. As for tuition, some colleges don't pay full or even half scholarships. They just show interest.
BamaAndy2013-02-18T05:52:51Z
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You could try out for the Philadelphia Blaze semi-pro team.. I understand they could use a couple of good wide receivers and they don't require much experience at all... Good luck...
Yes, but you've got to grab attention and fast. Most likely it would mean trying out for a team like an Arena Football League team or a Canadian Football League team.
It definitely is possible for you, but you're going to have to work your butt off to get what you want. The window of opportunity is closing fast for you. My personal saying in life is this, "If you want to be the best, you have to work harder than the rest."
Most guys that make pro teams have to work their butts off. You will have to take that to the next level like a crazy person. You will have to be dedicated. If you've ever seen those videos for EXTREME workouts, that's what you'll have to be doing SEVERAL HOURS A DAY, EVERY DAY.
But if you look at some of the best, that's what they did. Ran up and down stairs at the university stadium for hours on end. Watch videos for hours on end on youtube, etc learning the intricacies of the best players at their position in the game and how they beat out their opponents.
Few are willing to do all of that. But if you are willing to do all of that, then you have a good shot, much better than you might think. People often under-estimate their abilities about how much they can attain if they work hard enough. The fact is that the reason most don't attain their goals is because they aren't willing to work hard enough. You'll hear something along those lines from the best sports players to billionaires that have made it rich.
A guy named Vince Papale played for Philadelphia Eagles for 3 seasons after he just played 1 year of football in high school. True story, look it up. And he was 30 years old when he started.
Yes, I highly encourage you to join a team in your local semi-pro football team next season. It will still not (yet) be too late for you to start playing football again.
Personally, I do not believe that your best fit is at halfback. Based on your height and weight, I believe that the best fit for you is at fullback. For your age, you have the ideal size for a fullback in semi-pro football.
My best advice for you is to work hard and perform very well in practice every day. In addition, what you need to do this (and every) offseason is eat healthy, exercise by doing weight lifting, and either jogging or going for a long run every day. If you do these things, you will get faster, stronger, and into better shape, which will greatly improve your chances of becoming a successful, top notch fullback in semi-pro football, who could go on to play in the NFL.
By the way, your chances of playing in the NFL depend on your performance in semi-pro football. If you perform very well in semi-pro football, you will greatly improve your chances of getting signed to play for an NFL team in the future.