Preferred Walk Ons

[Cincydawg]

Can someone explain this to me?

https://247sports.com/college/georgia/Article/Bulldogs-add-Brandon-Bunkley-Cody-Carder-JC-Vega-as-preferred-walk-ons-128393904/?fbclid=IwAR1GY4vibdPiNxNFikEqQhCczgAgP-9UFqBXl2SD3Kgzs5e4IwUQ_W_FmkQ

Option 1:  Free college at Tennessee State (or some FCS school).,

Option 2: Work your butt off while paying for college at a P5 school while likely rarely seeing the field.

[847badgerfan]

Preferred walk-on kids are given a chance to earn a scholarship. They are late-bloomers most often, or kids who were really good and then injured. Some schools have better walk-on programs than others. Mine has JJ Watt as a former walk-on. There are many more examples.


Nebraska won titles because of its program under Osbourne. I think they are trying to get that back.

[FearlessF]

depends on the finances of the family 

https://www.omaha.com/huskers/blogs/a-complete-history-of-husker-walk-ons-in-the-nfl/article_dc00dc36-0bd6-11e6-a03e-4fccc11c5b3c.html

Out of thousands and thousands of football players that have been through the program, Nebraska has had 354 players selected in the NFL draft. Many of those were much-hyped recruits, guys with recruiting stars to spare who clearly caught the eye of coaches enough to gain a scholarship offer, or more often, a number of scholarship offers from multiple schools.

But an even smaller group — 25 young men, or about seven percent of NU's draftees — came into the program with no scholarship and no promise of playing time. They, more than others, had to prove not only that they were capable of having an impact on the field, but that they even deserved a spot on the roster. 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Grady Eifert for Purdue [basketball] is a preferred walk-on. He ended up earning a scholarship I believe the last two years, partly because he truly did earn it and partly because Purdue had the room. 

Remember that kids come from all sorts of different walks of life. Eifert's dad played for Purdue and his brother plays football for the Bengals, so if nothing else I'm sure his brother can afford to help him with tuition. Purdue's transfer from Dartmouth, Evan Boudreaux, comes from a wealthy family [his mom is CEO of Anthem healthcare], so although he is on scholarship, it's not like he couldn't have become a preferred walk-on if he wasn't as heavily recruited.

I don't know about any of the players in that article, but one of them mention the value of a UGA degree. It's possible, if they come from a family that can afford school, that the chance to get a UGA degree and MAYBE someday even play for the Bulldogs is worth the tuition. 

[FearlessF]

From 1984.............

https://www.si.com/vault/1984/09/05/633947/walk-ons-are-now-in-the-running

And what a strange cast of characters they are. They include the healthy, like Auburn defensive end Kevin Greene, whose 500-pound bench press is a team record; the wealthy, like Florida placekicker Bobby Raymond, who refused a scholarship because his parents are well off; and the wise, like the defensive end who turned down financial aid at Dartmouth to walk on at Nebraska. That's premed student Scott Strasburger.

[Cincydawg]

Good point about individual circumstance, I was over generalizing.

I would guess the percentage of PWAs who ever get significant playing time is quite low, and the percentage who later get scholarships would be, 25%?  15%?

What is the difference between a PFA and a Walk On?  The former is preferred.  Yay.

[FearlessF]

Nebraska just has walk ons

no distinction of preferred 

[847badgerfan]

Good point about individual circumstance, I was over generalizing.

I would guess the percentage of PWAs who ever get significant playing time is quite low, and the percentage who later get scholarships would be, 25%?  15%?

What is the difference between a PFA and a Walk On?  The former is preferred.  Yay.

At UW, all walk-on's are welcomed. PWO are invited, and are also announced on signing day. Pretty big difference.

[betarhoalphadelta]

At UW, all walk-on's are welcomed. PWO are invited, and are also announced on signing day. Pretty big difference.

That's been similar to my understanding. PWO are actively being recruited, but with the understanding that a scholarship may not be available for them.

[Cincydawg]

So, no substantive difference at all then.

[ELA]

a PWO is a recruit, who has to pay their own way.  There is an offer, and there is no tryout, but they know that a scholarship isn't coming their way up front.  Most of them usually have FCS or mid-major offers if they want the scholarship.  I believe the football staff works them through admissions in similar ways too?

Other walk ons are truly just students at the school who show up to an open tryout.  A knew a kid in HS who did that at MSU.  By his junior year I think he did actually dress for home games, but I don't think he ever got in.

[Kris60]

Can someone explain this to me?

https://247sports.com/college/georgia/Article/Bulldogs-add-Brandon-Bunkley-Cody-Carder-JC-Vega-as-preferred-walk-ons-128393904/?fbclid=IwAR1GY4vibdPiNxNFikEqQhCczgAgP-9UFqBXl2SD3Kgzs5e4IwUQ_W_FmkQ

Option 1:  Free college at Tennessee State (or some FCS school).,

Option 2: Work your butt off while paying for college at a P5 school while likely rarely seeing the field.

Honestly man, it just comes down to chasing a dream.  I know from a pragmatic standpoint it’s easy to question a kid’s decision to turn down a scholarship and likely playing time at Tennessee St to pay his own way and ride the pine at UGA.  But for some kids they just don’t want to look back and ask “What if I had tried?”

[Brutus Buckeye]

Worked out well for Terry Glenn.

[ELA]

Tyler Conklin and Kenny Willikes were both walk ons for MSU, and became All-Americans.