The life of a college football walk-on is usually more grueling than glamorous. He arrives with a dream, not a scholarship.
Some walk-ons wind up playing prominent roles on Saturdays. But many linger in the shadows, contributing as scout-team fodder.
Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, the former Notre Dame player who became the most celebrated walk-on ever, has some advice: Have a goal, whether it is to earn a scholarship, be part of the team or become an inspiration.
Ruettiger, whose story was told in the movie "Rudy," had a boyhood dream to play for the Fighting Irish. In his final game, he played 27 seconds, sacked the quarterback on the last play and was carried off the field.
"If I hadn't practiced every day like I was going to play, that last play would have never happened," said Ruettiger, who now is a motivational speaker.
Most walk-ons don't gain "Rudy" fame, yet they still can have rewarding experiences. And college football coaches, with 85 scholarships to give, are glad to have the extra bodies. Plus, some walk-ons eventually earn scholarships.
As the college season winds down, take a look at several walk-ons who have refused to walk off or give up.
RUSS DUBISKY
QB, N.C. STATE, SR.
Russ Dubisky started his college football career as a backup quarterback at Catawba, heard there was some guy named Philip Rivers rewriting the N.C. State record book and naturally thought, "That's where I need to be."
Dubisky, from Asheboro, was under no illusion that he would steal playing time from Rivers or any other Wolfpack quarterback when he arrived in Raleigh in 2002. But being in the state capital served the political science major's needs.
"I didn't try to kid myself at all. I knew that it was definitely going to be a role change, that playing time was going to be a major uphill battle," said Dubisky, a 6-foot scout-team veteran.
He earned some special teams playing time Sept. 17 against Eastern Kentucky. He has spent the rest of his State football career on the practice field, serving as a scout-team version of rivals such as Clemson quarterback Charlie Whitehurst and Georgia Tech receiver Calvin Johnson.
Dubisky spent the summer of 2004 working at Sen. Elizabeth Dole's Raleigh office. This past summer, he completed an internship with the state Department of Crime Control and Public Safety. Monday, he didn't allow himself to think about the possibility that his college football career could end with a loss Saturday against Maryland.
"I'm going to do my best just to soak everything in and try to remember every minute of everything," he said. "Because I know I'm not going to get another chance."
(Lorenzo Perez)
WALLACE WRIGHT
SPECIAL TEAMS, NORTH CAROLINA, SR.
North Carolina's Wallace Wright didn't develop an inferiority complex because he wasn't on football scholarship as a freshman in 2002.
"I knew I could play with everybody,'' he said.
Wright was right.
Wright, whose father, Wallace, played for baseball's Montreal Expos in the 1970s, grew up in Florida and finished high school in Fayetteville. He had planned to walk on at Florida but decided he had a better shot at playing at UNC.
Given a chance, he made the most of it.
Flashing speed and reckless abandon in practice, he earned a spot on the special teams and averaged 21.5 yards per kick return as a freshman.
Wright, now a 6-foot, 197-pound senior on scholarship, has played receiver, sparkled as a kick returner and served as special teams captain this season. He also earned the nickname "Smooth" for his dapper attire.
"I like to have the ball in my hands,'' said Wright, on pace to graduate with a degree in exercise and sports science. "I like making tackles, too. [He has nine]. Some wide receivers don't like to tackle. My interest is in winning."
Wright won't play Saturday at Virginia Tech. His career ended prematurely in this past Saturday's win over Duke when he fractured an ankle while catching a pass.
But, overall, his college experience went much smoother than that of many walk-ons.
(A.J. Carr)
KEVIN CRONIN
QB, DUKE, JR.
You can't miss Kevin Cronin on Duke's sideline. He's the quarterback wearing No. 88. He's also in charge of signaling the plays to the quarterback in the huddle.
Cronin is one of 19 walk-ons at Duke who pay more than $40,000 each year to go to school and play football.
A junior from Middleton, Wis., Cronin either wants to be a football coach or go to law school. He figured Duke, even at the high cost, was his best option.
"I think it's worth the investment in my future," said Cronin, who takes out student loans to pay his way. "Money's a huge consideration, but you only have one time to play college football. I had to take that opportunity."
At 6 feet and 170 pounds, Cronin is undersized for a Division I-AA quarterback, let alone one in the ACC. But his knowledge of the game and work ethic have endeared him to the team. This season, he was entrusted with creating the signals for the plays. He'll flap his arms like a bird on one play and twirl his wrist like he's making an omelet on another.
"It's almost looks like a dance," Cronin said. "Every word in the play needs a signal. It gets pretty involved."
As for the conspicuous number -- illegal for a quarterback --Cronin said originally he wore No. 6 but then underwent three surgeries to his left knee. He wasn't expected to return to practice this season, so all of the low numbers had been doled out.
Next year, he said he'll have a different number and a new responsibility when he is the holder on kicks. That will give his parents, Kevin and Patti, a better reason to continue their 34-hour round-trip commute from Wisconsin each week to watch Duke.
His parents also would like to see another addition next season.
"They've definitely pushed me to get a scholarship," Cronin said. "But they're really proud I chose Duke."
(J.P. Giglio)
PHILLIP HENRY
WR, ECU, SO.
East Carolina wide receiver Phillip Henry said his life has changed dramatically since he joined the Pirates last season as a walk-on. But, although Henry has become one of ECU's better receivers, he credits the hard life of a walk-on with making him successful now.
"When I first came out, I had to do a lot of stuff against the first-team defense [on the scout team]," Henry said. "That got me ready for this year."
Henry is the third-leading receiver on the team, with 22 catches for 340 yards and a touchdown. Those are numbers Henry said many of his recruited teammates didn't think he could post when he arrived as a walk-on. They know better now.
"At first, people look at you funny because you're different than everybody else," Henry said. "But when you make a couple of plays, people start expecting you to make more plays."
(Jaymes Powell, Jr.)
MICHAEL SIMMONS
LB, WAKE FOREST, SO.
It would have been easy for Michael Simmons to walk off at Wake Forest.
After shoulder surgery, he missed spring practice and summer workouts. Not on scholarship, he also pays $39,510 in tuition and faces a challenging academic situation. But he was one of roughly 100 players who showed up for practice in August.
"You've got to do something spectacular to get noticed," said Simmons, a 225-pound sophomore who put his heart -- and shoulder -- into the game. The result: He earned a spot on Wake's kickoff and kickoff return team this season.
A three-sport athlete in high school in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Simmons made his first college tackle in Wake's victory over Duke and remembers how excited he felt running off the field after that hit.
"We didn't know if he would contribute at all,'' Wake coach Jim Grobe said. "Once he bounced back from surgery, he did some good things on the scout team. Next thing, we plugged him in. He made good progress for a walk-on kid."
Simmons' goal is to earn a scholarship to play linebacker while pursuing a degree in business and accounting.
"I've put on a little weight,'' said the determined Deacon, who has gained 25 pounds since his freshman year. "I'm looking forward to playing as a backup or in reserve role."
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