Of those athletes that play a sport at the college level, there are some that are recruited to play and some that are not. Players who were not recruited beforehand or were not awarded athletic scholarships to compete are often referred to as “walk-ons.” The University of Wyoming has seen many of these players come to their sport programs throughout the years and have recognized their high potential. In many cases where this talent has been seen, coaches have asked players to become official players for their team.
Walk-on players are found most commonly in college football. While the players may not be placed on the official depth chart or asked to travel with the team, walk-ons still have several opportunities to become noted members of the team.
Reports from the NCAA show that because scholarships are limited on an institutional basis, many football teams do not offer scholarships to their punters, long snappers and kickers until they have become more established in their position. Injuries and other outside issues are quite common in football, which often results in walk-on players being asked to take on prominent roles. Other situations where walk-ons can become noted members can result from impressing the coaching staff with playing during practices and on scout teams. If coaches feel that a walk-on shows the ability to play at a more competitive level, the players will be awarded scholarships and made part of the official depth chart. Finally, there are times where a walk-on will be a dependable member of the team’s practices and scout teams for several years. If a team has an extra scholarship, it may be awarded to the player as a show of appreciation for hard work and devotion to the team, although the player may never actually play in a game.
There are several reasons as to why players pursue walk-on positions. Some receive praise for joining the team, while still having the opportunity to try to win the coaches over. Some of these athletes may be a descendant of a notable former player, alumnus or coach of the school. These players generally do not strive to be placed in a starting position, but rather carry on the tradition of being a part of a particular team. Some athletes also walk on after playing at small high schools, which can limit the amount of attention paid by college scouts to those players. This also applies to athletes who may have been home schooled during high school and were unable to play on teams, therefore not receiving any attention from scouts. Both cases apply to a lot of players from smaller towns in Wyoming.
Walk-on players are just as essential to a team as scholarship players are. They have many benefits and many opportunities that give them the chance to further advance their collegiate playing.
