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Every young football player's dream is to make it to the NFL. It's the pinnacle of the sporting world and is a billion-dollar organization. Every season, thousands of college players start their season with one goal: to make it to the NFL.
The college football season isn't that long, so if players want to make a splash and put their names high on the draft board, they have to get moving.
For some, like C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young, Will Anderson Jr., Bijan Robinson, and Jalen Carter, it comes easy, and they are among the best players in college football. They are expected to be taken early in the first round when they are eligible. But for all the other players, it isn't as easy.
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So what percentage of college football players go on to live out their dreams as NFL players?
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Percent of college players that make it to the NFL
Given the cut-throat nature of professional football, no shortcuts or favors are given. If you are good enough, you make it; if not, you don't. It's that simple.
It all comes down to hard work for these young college players, but sometimes, even that isn't enough.
The percentage of college players that makes the NFL is incredibly low. In fact, just 1.6 percent of college players will become a professional in the NFL. So the other 98.4 percent of players in college right now will not have their dream realized.
Sometimes, they can go through undrafted, which has worked out well for some players (for example, Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys), but for the most part, it is incredibly difficult to get a roster spot.
Even if you are a high draft pick, there are still no guarantees that you will have a long career (Zach Wilson is a prime example, as he is going through a tough time).
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Others may end up on a team's practice squad. That can be a start for some young players, but the team can cut players on that squad anytime. That's not ideal.
The dream to become a professional football player is likely something that most boys and girls harbor at some point in their lives, but considering that only 1.6 percent of them will make it, it offers them a slim chance.
