The College Gridiron Showcase is in Fort Worth this week. It brings with it more than 200 former college football players. Their presence also attracts out 130-some scouts from the NFL, CFL, and even the Japanese X League. They’ll interview players and watch them do drills and scrimmage. It’s a part of the evaluation process ahead of the NFL draft.
Jose Jefferson, the subject of this week’s video interview, is a former professional player who co-founded this event. He wanted to provide players a more scouting-friendly showcase beyond what they might get through playing in one of the existing postseason all-star games. The day we did this interview, they customized the practice on the fly so scouts could see the quarterback group perform in certain rollout situations they wanted to evaluate.
For some players, this audition could lead to an NFL or CFL job. For others, it may be the last time they put on pads and block or tackle. American football is not a lifetime sport. The guys on these rosters paid to be here and get this once-in-a-lifetime job interview. Will they have a future playing their sport? They won’t really find out until NFL teams draft and sign free agents in the spring, but their performances this week could go a long way toward determining whether their career path will continue to include playing football.
