If you’re an unsigned high school football player that wants to play at the next level, the National Football Foundation and the College Football Hall of Fame’s NFF High School Showcases may the answer.
In February, there will be four showcases that given players a chance to earn scholarships at the divisional level. The events will be held in Houston (February 4), Southern California) (February 11), Florida (February 25) and Arizona (February 25).
The NFF High School Showcases give academically eligible high school seniors, who did not sign an NCAA Division I Letter of Intent, an opportunity to go through a series of drills in front of divisional college coaches from the NCAA Division II, III and the NAIA levels. The showcases are FREE for participants and college recruiters.
Participants, who all have to meet minimum academic standards, compete in a series of athletic drills designed to let divisional college coaches assess each player’s potential, including a 40-yard dash and several agility and strength tests. The events allow the college recruiters a unique opportunity to evaluate a large number of qualified student-athletes in a short period while minimizing their travel costs.
Since the first camp in 2009, over 13,000 student-athletes have participated with millions in scholarship dollars being handed out.
“The leaders in these cities all deserve huge praise for their efforts to expand opportunities for kids to earn their college degrees with football opening the door,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. “Their leadership has helped build a free system, literally providing thousands of talented student-athletes the opportunity to continue their educations. The Showcases provide a great path to college that previously did not exist. It’s a huge difference maker, especially for those who did not sign at the Division I level but would love to still play college football.”
“Most of these types of events around the country charge a fee to participate, excluding a lot of great kids who can’t afford the price of admission,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “The NFF Showcases provide all student-athletes, no matter their means, an opportunity to pursue the dream of attending college, and it’s a highly cost-effective way for us to make a huge difference in the lives of hundreds of kids. And the impact has been nothing short of phenomenal.”
The first showcase was launched by a group of Houston high school coaches in 2009. The concept expanded to Southern California in 2013. Florida joined in 2017 and Arizona for the first time in 2023. Other sites in the past have included Atlanta, Charlotte (NC) and Detroit. Collectively, the organizers anticipate the four events in 2023 will reach more than 1,200 seniors with an estimated one-in-four receiving some kind of financial aid to go to college.
Below are descriptions for all four events from the NFF:
Feb. 4 – The 15th Annual Houston Texans Senior Showcase will take place Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Texans Methodist Training Center next door to NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. The event in Houston was founded by Phil Camp, the former head football coach at Milby High School in Houston; Coby Rhoden, an academic coordinator at Houston Aldine High School; and Chris Vaughan, a board member of the NFF Touchdown Club of Houston Chapter. The Houston event receives additional support from the Houston Texans and minority owner Javier Loya and the TaxAct Texas Bowl and Executive Director David Fletcher, who also serves on the board of the NFF Touchdown Club of Houston. Notable former players who have volunteered include Dallas Griffin (Texas and the 2007 NFF Campbell Trophy winner), Robert Hubble (Rice), N.D. Kalu (Rice), and well-known Texas high school coaches Dick Olin and the late Sonny Detmer.
Feb. 11 – The 10th Annual Terry Donahue Memorial California Showcase will take place Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California. The event was launched in 2013 by College Football Hall of Fame Coach Terry Donahue, who passed away in 2021. Coach Donahue had tapped many former college coaches and players to help run the drills, and they have kept his legacy alive by continuing to stage the event. Nearly $40 million in scholarships have been awarded to 1,080 participants since the event’s inception. This year, representatives from more than 60 colleges are expected to attend with more than 500 athletes on site. Notables who have volunteered in the past include Steve Beuerlein (Notre Dame), Jim Everett (Purdue), Vince Ferragamo(Nebraska and an NFF National Scholar-Athlete), Nick Foles (Arizona), Jay Schroeder(UCLA), John Sciarra (UCLA, College Football Hall of Fame inductee and NFF National Scholar-Athlete), Cade McNown (UCLA and College Football Hall of Fame inductee), Rick Neuheisel (UCLA), Lester Towns (Washington) and James Washington (UCLA).
Feb. 25 – The 7th Annual Orange Bowl Florida High School Football Showcase, Presented by Baptist Health, will occur Saturday, Feb. 25, at St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens, Florida. The 2023 South Florida event will take place behind the leadership of Orange Bowl Committee, President & Chairman Dr. Yvonne Turner, CEO Eric Poms and Showcase subcommittee chair and former University of Miami linebacker Tony Coley. More than $7 million has been awarded to more than 350 participants over the event’s seven-year history. Other volunteers who have supported the event include and Glenn Blackwood (Texas), Henri Crockett (Florida State), Channing Crowder (Florida), Troy Drayton (Penn State), Jim Gainey (Florida), Larry Little (Bethune-Cookman), Nat Moore (Florida), John Offerdahl (Western Michigan), Brady Quinn(Notre Dame), Twan Russell (Miami), Dwight Stephenson (Alabama), Patrick Surtain(Southern Mississippi).
Feb. 25 – The Inaugural Arizona Senior Showcase will be held Feb. 25 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, which will have hosted Super Bowl LVII two weeks prior to the Showcase. The NFF Southern Arizona Chapter (NFFSAC), in collaboration with Glazier Clinics, has taken the lead in organizing the event with the support of the Arizona Cardinals and former college coaches Tim Kish, Mike Hankwitz and former UCLA QB Jay Schroeder. Kish recently became the NFFSAC President. Organizers anticipate more than 30 colleges will have representatives on site and more than 250 participants will take advantage of the opportunity.
