Q: Tell us about your college career and what the recruiting/scouting process was like. Why did you choose Southwest Baptist University?
A: I was in contact with a few smaller schools and had some PWO opportunities from a couple big schools. I ended up going to a D1 FCS school out of high school and decided to transfer after my freshman year. SBU (Southwest Baptist) was one of the schools recruiting me out of high school and was the first school to reach out after my decision to transfer. I decided to commit and finish my college career there.
Q: What would you consider to be your biggest accomplishment in your sports career so far?
A: One of my biggest accomplishments would be overcoming so much adversity throughout my college career. The other would be being a captain early in my career and being seen as a leader by my teammates and coaches.
Q: What do you consider to be one of the more important things you learned from the coaching staff while playing at Southwest Baptist?
A: The coaches at SBU really developed me as a leader. We had leadership meetings during fall camp where we covered points in a leadership book and applied them to the team. One of my coaches told me “A great leader is a great leader even when things may not be going as well for them personally” and that really stuck with me.
Q: What was your major and what are your plans if football doesn’t work out?
A: My undergrad degree was mass communications, and I am finishing my master’s degree in business administration. If football didn’t work out, I would be interested in things like real estate and owning a car wash as one option. I would look to have multiple sources of income
Q: What would your current/past teammates say about you and your qualities?
A: My teammates would say some of my best qualities are my toughness, leadership, and reliability.
Q: What has been one of the most memorable plays of your career at any level?
A: Getting an interception in a televised game a few years ago
Q: What has been your biggest challenge and how do you manage it?
A:Learning the importance of rehabbing and taking care of my body because of previous injuries. It helped me prioritize really taking care of my body outside of what we do in football.
Q: Who was the best player you played against during your collegiate career?
A: Al McKeller from Uindy
Q: If you could compare yourself to a pro athlete, who would that be and why?
A: Versatility is a big part of my game. I like to be good at many different things as a linebacker. I watch tape on guys that play both outside and inside linebacker to try to incorporate into my game. Two of the guys I like and watch often are Fred Warner and Reuben Foster.
Q: What is your biggest strength that you bring to a professional team and why should pro scouts consider you?
A: My biggest strength is my football I.Q. and really understanding the game of football. Being aware of situations in a game help put me in positions to make plays and make my team better. My work ethic and determination to be great/ the best are also great strengths.
Q: Are you involved in mentoring, a charity or do you “give back” or ”pay it forward” in your community?
A: I love mentoring and charitable opportunities. At SBU we participated in “Big Cat Little Cat” where the team went to the schools in the neighborhood every Friday and spent time with the kids. Being a positive and Inspiring presence to others is a great honor.
Q: What do you enjoy doing when not playing football?
A: Visiting new places and trying new things. I didn’t do much traveling growing up so I like to take advantage of something like that whenever I can.
Q: If you could make a positive impact on all of society what would it be and why?
A: Playing a big part in developing people’s athletics experiences would be great. I would love to have a facility where people can go to work out and explore fitness, and for kids to develop as athletes. I also want to be able to sponsor different teams for kids to be a part of.
Q: Who is or has been the most influential person in your life?
A: My mom. All the sacrifices she’s made and things she’s done for me to allow me to do what I love means the world to me. She is one of the biggest sources of motivation I have in my life.
Q: What is something unique about you that people would find interesting?
A: Being an only child seems to surprise a lot of people. I am good at interacting with people and keeping people’s attention.
Q: If you had the opportunity to play another sport professionally, what sport would you choose?
A: Baseball. The game is interesting because it requires a lot of focus and accuracy with things like hand-eye coordination. It’s also a little less strenuous on the body than football.
Q: What is your dream job?
A: I don’t have a specific job in mind, but it would probably be something that pays a lot with minimal responsibilities. Something that would be relaxing and involving but also add joy to my life.
How’d you end up at your current school? What was the recruiting process like? For me I was trying to get...
“I would like to start this message by thanking you and everyone involved who made this opportunity possible. I am truly grateful for the experience and atmosphere you’ve cultivated through the National Scouting Combine. My journey has not been an easy one by any means. Losing my mother in 2017 to cancer, losing the house my brothers and I called home before attending this very event in 2018, and completely bombing the event left me completely shot mentally. This event that just took place gave me the motivation and hope for better days. That is exactly what has been provided to me. Opportunities I never considered have presented themselves to me with each passing day. WWE contract offers, Rugby offers, and NFL scout inquiries about what kind of man Jarrod Cann is, are just the first of many opportunities
that were made real through my participation in your event! Thank you for allowing me to tell my story on such a platform and allowing me to save lives with my story.”
“The National Scouting Combine was a great opportunity for me to get official test numbers and get my information out to teams and scouts to gain necessary exposure. It is always a big challenge for athletes to get official verified numbers but the National Scouting Combine gave me this opportunity. The entire staff works with the players to put them into the best position to succeed. They give players opportunities to promote themselves on and off the field. They have a setup to do all combine tests and to perform official position drills. The event also allows for players to gain useful contacts with teams and National Scouting Combine staff members to further promote themselves. The National Scouting Combine provided me with a chance to showcase my abilities as a free agent and put myself in a good position to have success in my pursuit to play professional football. I want thank the National Scouting Combine staff for giving players this unique chance to demonstrate their skills.”
“I had a great experience at the combine. The whole staff was extremely positive and really wanted the best for all of the players that attended. Being that I was a free agent and a season removed from NFL camps it was crucial for me to get new numbers to show I was still working hard. My only opportunity so far came from a scout who attended the combine. As players that’s why we attend these events, to be seen by the pro levels. I’m very greatful for the opportunity that was came from the combine. I’ll be recommending it to every player possible in the future who’s looking to go pro.”
My experience at the National Scouting Combine was an extremely positive one. Coming from a small school (Bryant University – Division I AA), opportunities to showcase my athleticism and measurables to pro scouts were scarce. However, Jimmy and his team gave me that opportunity when they put together a first-class event, in an outstanding venue and invited hundreds of players that had been overlooked or just wanted the opportunity to showcase their abilities. The connections, advice and coaching I received at the 2018 National Scouting Combine were priceless, as many pro scouts and coaches began to get in contact with me during and immediately after the combine. Jimmy and his team did an outstanding job of incorporating new, cutting edge technologies into the combine, while inviting well-respected coaches, scouts and former professional players to run the drills and provide coaching. Jimmy provided me with a platform to chase my dream of playing professional football that I would not otherwise have had, and in turn is part of the reason why many CFL teams took interest in me, why I was invited to Rookie Minicamps with the Jets and Texans and why I have now signed with the Orlando Apollo’s of the new Alliance of American Football League. The invitation to the 2018 National Scouting Combine was a blessing to me and my career and I would recommend any and all small school or overlooked college football player to attend and take advantage of this combine that, with Jimmy leading it, will continue to get better every single year.
“My testimonial would be because of COVID-19, it has hindered my ability to showcase my talents at pro days, workouts, and tryouts. But, because of the NSC I can still send official numbers and video to each team, while also gaining the opportunity to meet scouts in face and build a relationship with them. Lastly, the NSC is second only to the NFL combine which helps me have something else to hang my hat on as one of the top performers!”
“Thank you for the support and helping with promoting me for the next level. I am most definitely interested and my experience at the national scouting combine was incredible. It was my first official opportunity and it was a professional combine. All verified, legitimate laser times and numbers are vital to have especially in the times we are facing today. All of the coaches and personnel involved were professional in every aspect. It is such a blessing to have the opportunity to be apart of the national scouting combine and I can’t be more grateful to have verified numbers.”
“First and foremost I would like to thank the NSC staff for giving me the opportunity to showcase my skills in front of scouts and allow myself to get relevant combine numbers. This combine is by far the best Combine I have been to. The rooms were great and the food that was provided by NSC was great as well. You can feel that they had a passion for helping those who may not have had an NFL Combine invite and others who are just chasing that opportunity. They were extremely supportive and willing to market the players in every way possible. I was beyond impressed with the testing once we got going. Everything was very organized and professional just as it should be. When it came to the testing they had both hand time and laser time which makes your test times that much more official. The number of scouts that attended the Scouting Combine was even better. This staff truly knows how to put together a legit A+ combine experience and was by far the best combine experience I have been a part of.”
“I was fortunate enough to be a participant in the 2020 BSN Scouting Combine as it was an experience that I will surely never forget. Not only did it open opportunities for me to play football at the professional level, but it also shed light on my path to a football dream as an underdog. Not many athletes get this sort of opportunity and I am just blessed to have been apart of it.”
Pursuing a career in professional football from a small school is a lonely path. A prospect may have the support of his peers, family, and teammates, but the process can be overwhelming and very confusing. Often times small school prospects don’t have access to the resources provided to prospects at football powerhouses. “How can I get myself in front of scouts? How can I prove to them that I can play at the next level?” These are only a few of the many questions that race through a potential prospects mind on a daily basis.
The Beyond Sports Network National Combine helped simplify this process for many of the players that attended, including myself. Despite the combine being held for a few days, the information and services provided by the combine, as well as the sense of community between the staff members and prospects stood out to me. Every test that would be performed at the NFL combine was covered, every coach and staff member supported each prospect to an unbelievable extent, and the amount of scouts and agents in attendance and how interactive they were was impressive.
The Beyond Sports Network National Scouting Combine was a critical step in attempting to take my talents to the next level. If you are a small school prospect with no clear path to the next level, the National Scouting Combine will certainly clear up the path for you.
BSN gave me the platform I needed to be respected as a athlete. I came to there first Combine in 2010. I was pulled by every NFL, CFL scout. At that time there were a couple really good WRs including a SEC top WR who NFL scouts were coming to see. Once I put up good #s in my Testing Drills, we did one on ones. I showed my great covering skills to the point all the scouts herd the WRs talking and asking who was this guy. Then BSN promoted me and my numbers and I received workouts on all levels. I became a name in the business. Having legit numbers and respectable organization backing you is what you need. Everyone can say they can play and perform but coaches and scouts don’t believe you. BSN gives you the stage to perform and prove them wrong and get the opportunity you deserve. Because of BSN I was able to create a long professional career and when needed comeback to prove I could still play at a high level.
Q: Tell us about your college career and what the recruiting/scouting process was like. Why did you choose Southwest Baptist University?
A: I was in contact with a few smaller schools and had some PWO opportunities from a couple big schools. I ended up going to a D1 FCS school out of high school and decided to transfer after my freshman year. SBU (Southwest Baptist) was one of the schools recruiting me out of high school and was the first school to reach out after my decision to transfer. I decided to commit and finish my college career there.
Q: What would you consider to be your biggest accomplishment in your sports career so far?
A: One of my biggest accomplishments would be overcoming so much adversity throughout my college career. The other would be being a captain early in my career and being seen as a leader by my teammates and coaches.
Q: What do you consider to be one of the more important things you learned from the coaching staff while playing at Southwest Baptist?
A: The coaches at SBU really developed me as a leader. We had leadership meetings during fall camp where we covered points in a leadership book and applied them to the team. One of my coaches told me “A great leader is a great leader even when things may not be going as well for them personally” and that really stuck with me.
Q: What was your major and what are your plans if football doesn’t work out?
A: My undergrad degree was mass communications, and I am finishing my master’s degree in business administration. If football didn’t work out, I would be interested in things like real estate and owning a car wash as one option. I would look to have multiple sources of income
Q: What would your current/past teammates say about you and your qualities?
A: My teammates would say some of my best qualities are my toughness, leadership, and reliability.
Q: What has been one of the most memorable plays of your career at any level?
A: Getting an interception in a televised game a few years ago
Q: What has been your biggest challenge and how do you manage it?
A: Learning the importance of rehabbing and taking care of my body because of previous injuries. It helped me prioritize really taking care of my body outside of what we do in football.
Q: Who was the best player you played against during your collegiate career?
A: Al McKeller from Uindy
Q: If you could compare yourself to a pro athlete, who would that be and why?
A: Versatility is a big part of my game. I like to be good at many different things as a linebacker. I watch tape on guys that play both outside and inside linebacker to try to incorporate into my game. Two of the guys I like and watch often are Fred Warner and Reuben Foster.
Q: What is your biggest strength that you bring to a professional team and why should pro scouts consider you?
A: My biggest strength is my football I.Q. and really understanding the game of football. Being aware of situations in a game help put me in positions to make plays and make my team better. My work ethic and determination to be great/ the best are also great strengths.
Q: Are you involved in mentoring, a charity or do you “give back” or ”pay it forward” in your community?
A: I love mentoring and charitable opportunities. At SBU we participated in “Big Cat Little Cat” where the team went to the schools in the neighborhood every Friday and spent time with the kids. Being a positive and Inspiring presence to others is a great honor.
Q: What do you enjoy doing when not playing football?
A: Visiting new places and trying new things. I didn’t do much traveling growing up so I like to take advantage of something like that whenever I can.
Q: If you could make a positive impact on all of society what would it be and why?
A: Playing a big part in developing people’s athletics experiences would be great. I would love to have a facility where people can go to work out and explore fitness, and for kids to develop as athletes. I also want to be able to sponsor different teams for kids to be a part of.
Q: Who is or has been the most influential person in your life?
A: My mom. All the sacrifices she’s made and things she’s done for me to allow me to do what I love means the world to me. She is one of the biggest sources of motivation I have in my life.
Q: What is something unique about you that people would find interesting?
A: Being an only child seems to surprise a lot of people. I am good at interacting with people and keeping people’s attention.
Q: If you had the opportunity to play another sport professionally, what sport would you choose?
A: Baseball. The game is interesting because it requires a lot of focus and accuracy with things like hand-eye coordination. It’s also a little less strenuous on the body than football.
Q: What is your dream job?
A: I don’t have a specific job in mind, but it would probably be something that pays a lot with minimal responsibilities. Something that would be relaxing and involving but also add joy to my life. 
