We caught up with Division II East Stroudsburg Head Football Coach Douds and asked him some questions that high school football players wanted to know.

SmarterFootball: How do you make up your recruiting list?

Coach Douds: Well, we have a very fluid list.  We usually scout guys from our area, the guys from Pennsylvania.  Most coaches start local and go out a certain distance from the college, usually a couple hours.  Also, our list is ongoing and we scout right up until the last minute.  Someone can tell us about a kid out of our area and we will ask for some video on him and add him to the list.

SmarterFootball: What is the biggest difference between DI, DII, and DIII Football?

Coach Douds: Its all about Size, Speed, and Experience.  We have Offensive Lineman that come in anywhere from 280 to 300 lbs and benching about 300 lbs.  Our linebackers come in at around 210 to 220 lbs.  We can always help them get bigger, but from an initial stand point it is about size and speed.  The most important thing is we want good students.  We want to make sure these players can get accepted to our school because football wont last forever.

SmarterFootball: Would you suggest players sending information to you or position coaches?

Coach Douds: Send it to the Head Coach.  All the information we get will be reveiwed by the recruiting coordinator so he is an option as well.  We receive about 20-40 profiles or videos every couple of days which the recruiting coordinator will go over and make a decision on us pursuing that individual.  Well know right away if they can compete.

Send everything!  We dont take anything unless that athlete is a Junior or Senior unless he is one of a kind.

SmarterFootball: What are the most important things coaches want to see on an athletes recruiting profile?

Coach Douds: Besides the academic stuff, other sports can matter.  Also, can they play in their DVD?

SmarterFootball: What do you want to see in an athletes highlight film?

Coach Douds: About 10 to 15 plays and one full game.  We can get everything we need to know from that alone.

SmarterFootball: Why should a high school football player settle for a division lower than division I?

Coach Douds: Well if they really want to continue the sport they love, then do it.  College ball is a life changing experience.  The thing is, we play a lot of kids, so everyone that comes here has a great opportunity to play.  If you are lucky to get to a division I college, you may not play until your final year of college so would that be something you want?  The guys we get want to compete for 4 years and thats what all these kids should be thinking.

SmarterFootball: Do you change players positions when they commit to your program.

Coach Douds: We could.  Just because you were a Left Guard in high school, does not mean you will be a Left Guard in College.  We can see your potential in your highlight film and your progression from year to year.  We will see if you can join our program even if it means changing your position to give you the best chance.

SmarterFootball: What should high school football players be thinking about college?

Coach Douds: Find a great education and enjoy playing!  College football will end and a lot of these kids wont become professionals.

SmarterFootball: Anything you want to say about picking the right college?

Coach Douds: Make sure the college has your major.  What is the social aspect like?,  Can you go there and actually play?, Can you afford it?, and make sure you like the coaches philosophy.

SmarterFootball: In your opinion, how can they prepare for college?

Coach Douds: Visit colleges your Junior year and keep track of them.  Find out what you like and dont like.  Grade every school out and then by Senior year, knock that list down to about 4 and visit them again.

It’s not rare for the small division three school to discover potential recruits exaggerating or flat out lying about everything from grade point average to average yards per carry.  Coach Emond has seen kids pad stats and switch schools specifically for an easier schedule. He, like every respectable coach in any respectable program knows every trick in the book.  So one of the biggest pieces of advice Emond can offer to any player trying to get on the radar of any college football team is simply to be honest.
Be honest. Be straightforward. Be genuine, and show as much interest in the school that you want to attend as the school shows in you.

Highlight Films

“When you start dealing with things like highlight films and statistics, many of those are  against the weakest teams on their schedule that they just padded their stats with,” Emond said. “If you see a highlight film and you see that it’s the same team over and over again, right away we know something smells.”

How D3 Schools Recruit

Emond, along with his fellow assistant coaches search for recruits all over the country.  “We use a shotgun shell. We just keep blasting it out there,” he said. “It’s a combination really, thank goodness for the internet. And then also your local connections and your relationships with high schools.  We use recruiting services, some of which we subscribe to, some of which don’t charge us but charge the high school student…they will send us profiles…We also actually go to the local high schools, and the local high school coaches will provide us with contact information about the recruit.”

Test Scores and GPA

But if Emond doesn’t notice you, the coach explained that there are several ways to get the attention of any division three football program.
“First and foremost, and the most important thing is ‘Can the student get into the school and succeed?,’ so obviously we look at test scores and GPA,” Emond said. “The higher the test score the more the student is going to be recruited by many of the division three colleges because they tend to have very rigorous academics. But the whole idea behind division three football is based on the student athlete.”

Keeping Contact With Schools

Once you find and establish contact with the school and teams that you want to be a part of, Emond stressed the importance of taking the initiative of keeping that contact with both the schools and coaches.

The Friendly Email

Beyond just sending highlight films and transcripts – which Emond says can get lost in the shuffle of countless others that are constantly coming into his office – things as simple as a friendly e-mail can have an enormous impact.
“The more a student calls back when you leave a message, the more mutual interest there is,” he said. “A lot of it has to do with people reaching out to you almost much as you reaching out to them.”

D3 Football vs. D1 Football

On top of all that, Emond stressed the importance of being realistic. He points out that, although the chances of a D 3 athlete going pro is slim, that it isn’t unusual to see an athlete with D 1 ability playing D3.  “Most kids play football for us because they want to be a student athlete and because they don’t want to give the game up yet.”  He mentions “They only have four years of eligibility so they might as well play those four years. Some of these kids can get into a national powerhouse but some of these teams have over 200 athletes and two JV teams so its very difficult to break the roster. What we offer is the opportunity to participate early in your football career and for all four years.”