Aspiring football players, from pee wee to high school teams, can now connect with present and former NFL athletes through the online service, Coached by Pros, to receive feedback on their performance.
'It just made sense to get NFL players involved in this by providing coaching and mentoring to the younger athletes,' said Jadon Wagner, Coached by Pros CEO and former BYU player.
Coached by Pros is an online service that allows young football players to upload highlight film to their profiles and have an NFL player review their performances and provide feedback. Athletes who receive a high overall rating will have their profile and professional evaluation automatically sent to a list of NCAA programs and are immediately recommended as Division 1 prospects.
Jadon Wagner (49), CEO of Coached by Pros, played for BYU from 2008–2011. (Photo courtesy Jadon Wagner)
'I would have killed to have something like this growing up,' Chicago Bears running back and former BYU player Harvey Unga said. 'Had I gotten feedback from NFL players who play and fully understand my position, it would have helped me a ton as far as improving my game and giving me more of an opportunity to be looked at from different colleges and coaches.'
The athletes decide which professional they want to review their footage based on the professional's level of experience in their position. Professionals then evaluate the players in six different skillsets and give them an overall rating. The athletes are also instructed on ways they can improve and develop skills to become better at their positions.
Coached by Pros is an innovation to the college-recruiting process. The service helps kick-start the recruiting process for high school athletes who receive an overall rating of 3.6 or higher. In addition, it provides a way for athletes who do not have the exposure or connections to get noticed by NCAA programs.
The service was founded by Wagner, who wanted to help young athletes from his home in Canada increase their chances of being noticed and receiving scholarship offers. Wagner understood the difficulty of being recruited in Canada and, through his own experience, learned how to get recruiters' attention.
The site went live just over a month ago and already has over 200 player profiles and 65 professionals on board. Some of the professionals include former Heisman Trophy winner and BYU quarterback Ty Detmer, former San Francisco 49ers star Garrison Hearst, Atlanta Falcons jersey retiree Jessie Tuggle and current Philadelphia Eagles offensive linemen and former BYU players Matt and Dallas Reynolds.
Wagner said it did not take a lot of convincing to get the NFL players involved. In fact, they were more than happy to give back and pass along their knowledge.
'Evaluating game film for professional athletes is something that comes very natural to them because they have spent thousands of hours watching film,' Wagner said. 'Just by sitting down and watching 15 minutes of a young athlete's game, they can recognize a lot of what that kid needs to become a better athlete and football player.'