By JOHN INGOLDSBY
Engagement Insider
MIAMI, FL – If you are a high school football player in South Florida, what better way to spend a day than at the Miami Dolphins training facility, particularly when it is preceded by a college insight course from a team executive and player, as well as a local university player.
This was the case in early April when the NFL PREP 100 Series Presented by Under Armour and the National Guard set up camp in South Florida to host a record number of over 140 top local student-athletes.
Entitled “Football Development” and moderated by Dolphins’ Director of Player Engagement Kaleb Thornhill, those fortunate enough to attend the invitation-only event got an early-morning education on exactly what it is like to be a football player in college.
With panel participants Marcus Thigpen, a Dolphins Running Back, and Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Tight End Nexon Dorvilus, the eager group was all ears as they learned first-hand what the next step in their future could look like.
The session started with a description of the daunting day-in-the-life schedule of a college football player, recognizing that freshman are often on their own away from home for the first time.
“On a typical day, I would starting lifting weights at 6 am, then shower and eat breakfast at 7, followed by my first class at 8 am,” recalled Thigpen. “After classes all morning and early afternoon, I would go to football practice until about 6 pm, then grab dinner, and attend study hall from 7 to 9 pm.”
The former Indiana University star added that scheduling all his classes back-to-back worked well for him, emphasizing that attendance is always checked at the end of class, so leaving early is never an option.
Dorvilus chimed in that he had a similar schedule at FAU, adding that “it is important to be great at everything you do, academics, football, conditioning, and social interaction.”
Another harsh reality of playing football in college is injuries, and Thornhill described how his journey as a star middle linebacker at Michigan State University unfolded.
“I had surgery after every season, but never missed a game,” said the four-time All-Academic Big Ten selection. “The university serves a strong foundation and support system for injured players, and getting a second opinion for any injury is a must.”
Another must promoted by all three was the importance of meeting academic requirements and making sure you have the required credits necessary to advance and ultimately graduate. Additionally, they advocated building a resume during the college years and taking advantage of all the institution offers, like job fairs.
In the end, the former team captain Thornhill compared the college experience to a car.
“A student-athlete can go through college in neutral by just doing what needs to be done and no more, or he can go in reverse by being lost and never ‘getting it,’ or hopefully he can be in drive or even overdrive by maximizing every moment and opportunity, and ending up being a team captain and academic star.”
Armed with the insight from this and three other morning classroom sessions, the student-athletes then were bused over to the Dolphins facility for on-field drills from the PREP 100’s crack coaching staff, which includes former NFL players.