My name is Damon Badenhorst and I am a 20-year-old student-athlete. I am directly within the age gap that makes or breaks one’s career in professional sports. American football is what consumes my life. Ever since I first stepped on the freshly cut grass and experienced the beauty of the sport, I have been obsessed. A controversial aspect of continuing a football career after high school is that all players are convinced and dragged into post-secondary institutions. The NFL draft happens once a year and showcases college football athletes being rewarded for their hard work and joining the professional world. There are minimal options or chances to go pro if you don’t go through 3-4 years of full course-load school programs and there are no exceptions. This pathway one must take varies in difficulty for numerous reasons, which I have experienced firsthand. I will be exploring the experiences of others, why this pathway must be the way it is, and how it works.