“You only get drafted once.” -Sonny Weaver Jr. (Kevin Costner) from Draft Day
I’m a big dork.
My wife knows it.
My kids know it.
My clients and former players definitely know it.
And I’ve come to own it—no apologies.
One of the things that puts my dork status on full display is my love of movies. I try to get on the elliptical or treadmill for an hour, 3–4 days per week, and if you see me at the gym, odds are I’m watching a movie while getting my steps in.
I’m a sucker for anything with a good script and great acting that makes me laugh, cry, and just feel.
It may not be Oscar-worthy, but every April, on the morning of the NFL Draft, I queue up one of my all-time favorites: Draft Day starring Kevin Costner. I’ve probably watched it every year since it came out in 2014—11 years running.
I love anything with Kevin Costner, but his sports films? They’re my go-to comfort watches:
Field of Dreams, For the Love of the Game, Bull Durham, Tin Cup, McFarland USA, and The Guardian (Yes, it’s a sports movie. Come on—swimming!).
Draft Day is far and away the most far-fetched and detached from reality of the group… and I still love it.
Why? Because it reminds me so much of recruiting.
We all chase the players we love. But everyone wants the great ones. So it’s rare—really rare—when you land even one or two of those truly special kids. Draft Day shows how hard it is to find the “right” players to build the “right” culture. It’s not always about the tallest, the fastest, or the most athletic. Sometimes it’s the ones who play with so much passion, grit, and consistency that you can’t help but fall in love with them.
I love an underdog story. I love recruiting underdogs.
And these days, I LOVE getting underdogs recruited.
But I don’t just rewatch Draft Day. I also glue myself to the TV for all three days of the actual NFL Draft.
There’s something about seeing those young men walk across that stage, hearing their names called, and hugging the Commissioner. Their lives—and their families’ lives—are changed forever. You know they’ve been dreaming of that moment since they were little boys, and without fail, I turn into a big wet mess, crying tears of joy right along with them.
And here’s the thing most people don’t realize:
That feeling still exists at the JC, NAIA, D3, and D2 levels.
When a kid finds a college that believes in them…
When they make the call and say, “Coach, I want to play for you,”
It’s just as emotional, just as meaningful.
College coaches at those levels feel it too. There’s nothing better.
Unfortunately—like too many things in this country—money has corrupted the purity of the D1 level.
Some coaches are staying true to who they are as teachers and mentors. They aren’t chasing transactional recruits. They’re still chasing relationships—ones built on respect, belief, and possibility. However, many know that to keep their job, they not only have to win, but they have to attack each recruiting class with efficiency of spending the money the boosters are providing them.
Maybe that makes me naïve. Maybe I’m just a dork.
But I believe there’s still a path—a real one—where kids can be fairly compensated as proven college athletes without losing the innocence and gratitude that once made college sports so special.
If you’re a student-athlete or parent trying to navigate the college recruiting journey, I’d love to help. You can grab a copy of my book Significant Recruiting: The Playbook for Prospective College Athletes, read the weekly blog, or schedule a free one-on-one recruiting strategy session with me at coachmattrogers.com.
Let’s build a path with purpose, not pressure.
