Getting recruited is stressful. You’re (hopefully) going to spend the next four, maybe five years playing your heart out for a school, and a coach.  Add to that the importance of completing your education- and finding the right fit is critical.

So, how do you do that?  You’re getting the same messages from every school you come in contact with, all the players on every team seem the same.  Every official visit is fun and you feel like you fit in at every school.

Here’s my advice, for whatever it’s worth.

First of all, make sure your school has an academic program you can live with, one that you’re interested in and one that will set yourself up with a job you can see yourself in once your playing days are over, because as we’ve established- your odds of making it to the NFL are small.  There, I said it. 

If you are among the very few who can make into the NFL- then don’t worry about any of the things people will tell you about your education.  It’s still important, but not as much.  And don’t sweat leaving early if you get the opportunity and if you’re ready.  No one looks twice when a non-athlete leaves school early to work in a factory for 12 dollars an hour.  There, I said that too.

Having said the two things no one else will tell you- let me tell you this about leaving school early, you gifted athlete.  Be smart about it.  Only listen to what your coaches are telling you, they are the ones who truly know if you’re ready to make the jump or not.  Your friends don’t know, your family doesn’t know… the agents might know but they only care about the money they will make off of you once you make the jump.

But I digress.

This column is aimed at you, the athlete good enough to play in college, but not among the elite who will make it to the NFL.

When you make your official visit to a school, ask to meet with the dean of the program you are interested in academically.  Make sure the dean tells you everything you want to know about the program.  First of all, asking will surprise the coaching staff, and in today’s environment it will likely increase your standing as a recruit.

Understand that your official recruiting visit is a first date.  You’re ideally on your best behavior, the school has put on their makeup and looks their best, and they will work very hard to show you a good time.

Have fun, don’t do anything illegal or immoral- because make no mistake, you are being tested.  You’ll go out on the town with a group of players- and anything can and will happen.  You’re being watched.  Drink soda.  Be humble.  See how you fit in with the group you are with- they’ve been hand-picked by the coaches to take YOU around.  The following day they will be asked what they think about you.  The last thing you want is for them to tell the coaches you threw up six times and passed out in the car on the way back.

Find a good fit.  This is harder.  As I mentioned before, every coaching staff at every school is telling you everything you want to hear- and they’re being really nice about it.  They’re joking with you and your parents and telling them they will treat you as though you were their own son.

That’s not always a good thing.  Ask the players what the coaching staff is really like.  They’ll be honest.  Find out if they like playing for the coach.  Listen to conversations that don’t involve you, you can learn a lot by just listening.

Don’t make any commitments at your official visit, or even the day after.  You will feel like every school you visit is a perfect match for a couple days after your visit.  Think about it hard after your visits are used up.  Remember the fun you had, but remember what the campus was like, where the players took you, what the girls looked like on campus- it’s all important to your experience.

As much as the coaching staff wants you to come to their school- remember- it’s about you.  It’s about where you fit in best and what school offers you the best chance to be successful.

And this will be the part you don’t want to hear.  It’s not always about playing time.  Of course you want to play.  Of course you want to be the Big Shot on Campus.       Keep your mouth shut, work hard - and good things will happen to you.  It maybe your freshman year, it may not happen until you’re a senior.

By saying this I’m not asking you to settle for a second-string position.  I’m just saying that for you, the athlete with no real shot at the NFL… your college experience MUST be about more than athletics.

If you approach it that way, you will succeed no matter what happens.  Find the right fit first.  It’s too important.