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What's going through prep stars' minds?
Eighty of the nation's top high school football seniors gathered in San Antonio this month for the annual U.S. Army All-American Bowl, their last game before moving on to college football. USA TODAY surveyed all 80 on issues from recruiting to pay-for-play to the BCS. They were permitted to answer anonymously. Not all answered every question. The results:
The recruiting process

How is/was your recruiting process?

•Sane: 36

•Insane: 42

On what did/will you base your signing decision?

•School: 29

•Football program: 22

•Head coach: 2

•Both school and football program: 8

•Both football program and head coach: 2

•All three: 14

Any idea what the football graduation rate is at the school(s) you've picked or are considering?

•Yes: 55

•No: 23

When all is said and done, does graduation rate matter?

•Yes: 62

•No: 16

Are/were you swayed by a school's facilities (stadium, locker room, practice facilities, etc.) and the money it appears to devote to football?

•Yes: 48

•No: 29

Player welfare

Is getting a scholarship to play college football enough for what you put into the game and what the school gets out of your performance?

•Yes: 61

•No: 18

What more would you want if you could get it?

•Expanded scholarships to cover the full cost of attendance, including trips home and back: 43

•$2,000 cash: 9

•A small but specified percentage of the school's football profits, i.e., profit-sharing: 11

•Both expanded scholarships and $2,000 cash: 4

•Both expanded scholarships and percentage of profits: 2

•All three: 2

Should big-time college athletics — football and basketball — abandon the notion of amateurism and just pay players to represent their respective schools?

•Yes: 26

•No: 51

Are you rooting Maurice Clarett will knock down the NFL's early-entry rule?

•Yes: 39

•No: 40

Could you see yourself trying to play in the NFL next year?

•Yes: 12

•No: 67

What do you think are the odds you'll eventually wind up in the NFL?

•100%: 22

•75% or better: 23

•Better than 50%: 15

•25-50%: 12

•Long shot: 6

The BCS

Do you understand the BCS?

•Yes: 46

•No: 34

Given your druthers, would you stay with the BCS or go to, say, an eight- or 16-team playoff?

•BCS: 28

•Eight-team playoff: 25

•16-team playoff: 24

As you weigh/weighed your recruiting options, did it matter whether a school was in a BCS conference?

•Yes, a lot: 18

•Somewhat: 34

•No, it didn't: 25

Supplements

Is some kind of nutritional supplement necessary to keep up in big-time football today?

•Yes: 28

•No: 50

Have you used them?

•Yes: 25

•No: 54

What percentage of your teammates do you think used them this season?

•25% or less: 42

•Roughly half: 13

•50-75%: 13

•Three-quarters or more: 10

This and that

College football is criticized for lack of minority head coaches. Would you be any more or less likely to play for a black or other minority head coach?

•More likely: 6

•Less likely: 2

•Makes no difference: 72

During the season, how many hours a week do you put into football?

•10-15: 3

•16-20: 17

•21-25: 21

•26-30: 13

•More than 30: 26

Are you a ...

•Football player first, student second: 19

•Student first, football player second: 58

You can swap lives with Peyton Manning or Jeremy Shockey. Which would you choose?

•Peyton Manning: 42

•Jeremy Shockey: 36

As a fan, do you prefer the college or pro game?

•College: 66

•Pro: 14









Find this article at:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/preps/football/

What struck me there is that 22 said there's 100 percent chance they'll be in the NFL one day. Clearly this is another example of kids being told at a young age that they're special, that they're better than everyone else, and they're being told this by people who have no idea just how long the odds are of a young athlete making a living in his or her sport.

To be honest, I would have thought that number to be higher..

To be honest, I wouldn't be suprised if 22 of them did play in NFL at some point.

Really? That number just seems high to me. There's a limited number of jobs in the NFL, and they get spread out among guys who come out over a 10- to 12-year period. 22 from this group seems high to me, but maybe the math works out that way....
:wacko:

not of the Texas Top 100-I would say at least 20% would get a fair shot at the NFL.

This all star game is the nation's top players isn't it? Not just Texas.

oh yeah that's right-easily 20% of those kids would make.

Yeah, looked at the roster from 2001, the first year of the game, and all those players are either juniors or red-shirt sophs. Ten or so are going to be pros next year alone. Guys like Kevin Jones and Tommie Harris lead the roster.

Considering that 224 guys get drafted every year, not to mention rookie free agents, I think 20 out of the top 80 players in the nation is a safe bet.

Look at the National Top 100 players SMU has signed over the years-Dickerson, James, Michael Carter, Russell Carter, David Richards, Reggie Dupard-all of them made the NFL and excelled.