Expert: Thom Brooks - 6/7/2007

Question
hi, i'm almost 35 yr old immigrant from China(well,people always think i'm  around 25, so i just tell them it's my ID age), a full time student at Georgia State  
University. i'm 5 foot 9 tall, weigh about 160 lbs. last year i started to learn football, with the soccer background dated back to my high school, i quickly picked up place kicking and practice during the summer all the way through the fall. in the end it didn't work out despite of improper training on my own.
 This spring i joined as a wide receiver onto a minor league team based in Atlanta area.most people on the team think i'm fast that doesn't really make me take it as credit because the team is lack of high discipline.i show up at practice and treat it seriously everytime.but as matter of  
fact,my football knowledge was so behind everyone,i had not done drills well until recently i learned quite a bit from
internet source. so we have played a number of games since  the spring, mostly they sent me in the game as a kick off  
cover on special team(i haven't made any solo tackle yet), or merely as a back up wide receiver at the last minute of
game. i have not been brothered by lack of game experience opportunity a lot because i practiced hard with the team and besides that i hit the track field every other day. my 40 time is around 4'8. my biggest tream is to play for college. because i desire to promote American football program in schools in China. a NCAA expericne would definately be convincing. it turns out my school doesn't have a football program, so i plan to try out for a walkon position a school after transferring.University of W.Georgia is my choice for now.i don't mind if i can get to play game at all or not once i become a scrub on the college team.i'll be happy to stay on the team and learn the experience.
my question here is: without game experince, what's my chance to impress coaches(it wasn't my concern until lately one of the cornerbacks on my team just got recruited as a walkon by a DI AA team in Maryland,and he is even slimer and shorter than me)? could i request a personal interview with the coaches after showing them my catching drill video?(i just made one on youtube.com,my channel name is Chinazac).the reason i expected to meet and show them what i got is that my major is not offered by UWG,(i just want to paly football there)so if i don't make it at tryout this August, then i'll have to withdrawl the courses there,and waste the entire fall semester. it's pretty risky.i noticed the number of most college teams are already nearly 100, and i hear the cut is 90 usually. does this mean my August tryout is very hopeless because it seems they'll have to cut off some from the spring tryout anyway.
 i really need some advice.
appreciated

Answer
Zac, hello!

Your determination and focus will get you futher than the average, so keep trying for the dream.  The colleges will certainly select the best athletes.  So, you need to have a plan of what you have and how you can communicate that plan to the Coaches.  

Are you mentally tough?  Sounds like it.

Are you physically tough?  Maybe, but you haven't been hit by big tough, fast guys yet.  They hurt a lot.  So, can you stand up to that kind of punishment?  Wide Receivers need to be fast and strong and durable, because you will take a beating every week, and that's just in practice!

Being on the kicking team would improve your chances of making the team.  

I can't really answer your question but it sounds as if you have a big heart and you will do what is necessary to get your goal accomplished.

Good fortune to you !

Thom Brooks
Savannah, Georgia