Non-NFL Pro Football Leagues

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ST_Lawson
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meganeck wrote: Sat Feb 25, 2023 10:07 am Does anyone know if a college kid who is a Senior and doesn't really have a chance making the NFL could sign with the XFL or USFL? Say for example Henry Ogala could he sign with the one of those leagues and play for them this Spring or do they have some rules against that.

 
They could absolutely do that, sure. Like the NFL, you can't then come back and play college ball after you've done that...they're still "professional" leagues. If someone isn't quite good enough to make the NFL but is still pretty decent and wants to continue their football career, the XFL and USFL are definitely solid options. You also have the CFL (Canadian Football League), IFL (Indoor Football League), and I've heard rumors that the AFL (Arena Football League) might be trying to make a comeback.

The only issue I see is that if they are still a student taking classes, then they might need to figure out a schedule with their instructors/professors that allows them to also do the practice and game schedule for the team they're signing with. But as far as I'm aware, there's no rules against it. I don't know how it is now, but I know that a couple of decades ago, most guys playing in the AFL had another part-time job to help pay the bills (I believe Kurt Warner was working at Hy-Vee while he was playing for the Iowa Barnstormers). I think this would be similar to that type of situation.
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meganeck
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ST_Lawson wrote: Sat Feb 25, 2023 10:35 am
meganeck wrote: Sat Feb 25, 2023 10:07 am Does anyone know if a college kid who is a Senior and doesn't really have a chance making the NFL could sign with the XFL or USFL? Say for example Henry Ogala could he sign with the one of those leagues and play for them this Spring or do they have some rules against that.


 
They could absolutely do that, sure. Like the NFL, you can't then come back and play college ball after you've done that...they're still "professional" leagues. If someone isn't quite good enough to make the NFL but is still pretty decent and wants to continue their football career, the XFL and USFL are definitely solid options. You also have the CFL (Canadian Football League), IFL (Indoor Football League), and I've heard rumors that the AFL (Arena Football League) might be trying to make a comeback.

The only issue I see is that if they are still a student taking classes, then they might need to figure out a schedule with their instructors/professors that allows them to also do the practice and game schedule for the team they're signing with. But as far as I'm aware, there's no rules against it. I don't know how it is now, but I know that a couple of decades ago, most guys playing in the AFL had another part-time job to help pay the bills (I believe Kurt Warner was working at Hy-Vee while he was playing for the Iowa Barnstormers). I think this would be similar to that type of situation.

 
I assume you probably could and I don't know the status of every player in the XFL or USFL but I'm just surprised I haven't heard about someone doing that. In a way I think it might be a better option than going thru workouts or the combine. Go play in a spring league, hope you do well than hope a NFL team signs you. Granted that would be a lot of football on you body in a short amount of time.
 
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