Well, let me tell you, I heard folks talking ’bout this “PWO” thing in football. Sounds like some fancy college thing. It ain’t like the football we used to play in the field, that’s for sure. This PWO offer, it’s like, you get to play but you ain’t gettin’ paid for school, not one penny.
So, this here what is a PWO offer in football, it’s like an invite. They say, “Hey, you can come play on our team,” but they ain’t givin’ you no scholarship money. You gotta pay for your own schoolin’, your own food, your own books, everything! Sounds like a raw deal to me. They call it a “Preferred Walk-On.” What’s that even mean? You’re preferred, but not preferred enough for a scholarship?
These young’uns today, they get all excited about it. They think it’s a big deal to be a PWO football player. Back in my day, if you weren’t good enough to get paid to play, you just didn’t play for that school. You went where they wanted you, where they’d pay your way. But these kids, they want to go to these big-name colleges, even if it means payin’ their own way.
I heard them sayin’ that these PWO players are good, real good, some of them. Just not good enough to get that scholarship, I reckon. Maybe they just missed their chance. But they still want to play, so they take this PWO thing. They gotta be tough, these kids. It ain’t easy payin’ for school and playin’ football at the same time.
Here’s what I gathered ’bout this whole PWO mess:
- It means “Preferred Walk-On.” Like you’re walkin’ onto the team, but they kinda want you there.
- You ain’t gettin’ no scholarship. Gotta pay for everything yourself. Tuition, room, board, books, you name it.
- It’s like an invitation to play, but not really. More like, “You can play if you pay.”
- Some of these PWO players are just as good as the scholarship players.
- The schools can only have so many players with scholarships, 85 I heard. Then they can have other player only if they have 105 at max at the begining.
So, how to get a PWO offer? Well, from what I hear, you gotta be good. Real good. You gotta show them you’re worth havin’ on the team, even if they ain’t payin’ you. You gotta practice hard, listen to the coaches, and be better than everyone else who ain’t gettin’ paid. It ain’t easy, that’s for sure.
They say these PWO players gotta show “relentlessness.” That means they gotta keep goin’, no matter what. They gotta prove they want it more than anyone else. And they gotta be “coachable.” That means they gotta listen to the coaches and do what they say, even if they don’t like it. Sounds like a lot of hard work to me.
This whole PWO in football thing, it’s a new world. It wasn’t like this back in my day. But I guess times change. These kids, they’re willin’ to do whatever it takes to play football, even if it means payin’ their own way. I just hope they know what they’re gettin’ into. It ain’t gonna be easy, that’s for sure.
I reckon if a kid really loves football, and he’s got the grit, then maybe this PWO offer is a good thing. He gets to play for a big-time school, even if he ain’t gettin’ paid. He gets to prove himself. And maybe, just maybe, he’ll earn himself a scholarship down the road. But he better be prepared to work his tail off.
So that’s what I know about this PWO offer business. It’s a chance to play, but it ain’t a free ride. It’s hard work, and it ain’t for everyone. But for some of these kids, it’s a dream come true. Even if it is a dream they gotta pay for themselves. And the NCAA, they don’t care if you are PWO or not. It just means you ain’t got no scholarship, plain and simple.
In my opinion, this PWO is just a fancy word, not means much. But these kids, they are willin’ to do this. It is just different now.
