*Walt taking 2014 and 2018 |
Charlie Campbell, Senior Draft Analyst |
Breaking into NFL Scouting
Updated Aug. 2, 2021By Charlie Campbell. Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell.
Regularly over the years, readers have emailed me asking me how to become an NFL scout. I have always tried my best to give good advice and recommended trying to do an internship to get a foot in the door, but I thought it would make more sense to do a survey of league sources and see what they recommend. Here are direct quotes from some long-time scouts, and some of them are among the best talent evaluators in the NFL.
- An AFC director of player personnel, “Make connections. Cut your teeth early showing what you you bring to the table – working for a university if possible. Go out to the all-star games and combine, and network. And expect to work your ass off for no money and no ego.”
- An AFC director of college scouting, “Agreed, – internship is – still the best route. I would encourage being open minded about their entry point – Personnel, Operations, etc. Focus on opportunity, exposure and development along the way. Gain as much football experience as they can at the Collegiate level until they break in whether it’s Video, Recruiting, Operations or Coaching.”
- A NFC director of player personnel, “I would say it’s definitely just networking at all-star games and combine – getting in front of people and passing their info along to them – not being over bearing as well. If you get in contact with an executive, try to touch base preseason, then again postseason – I know whenever I get young guys’ resumes, we track them until we are going to make a change or need to add someone. Then we revisit the resumes and contacts – I think you can turn off a lot of teams when you’re calling too much during the times when change is not happening. They should always have the awareness of when these changes happen.”
- An AFC director of college scouting, “It’s all about time, so remain persistent in the midst of being told “No”. There’s no Human Resources in scouting, so you must make connections with people in the league when possible and stay in touch.”
- An NFC area scout, “I would tell them to get in with any team, in college or pro, and learn. Be a sponge. Network and try to get an NFL internship. But the best way is to break in to a college program and build relationships with the college coaches and NFL scouts coming through the school.”
- A NFC team president, “Watch 4-6 games on a player(s) and write a scouting report on the players. See if you have an aptitude for scouting.”
- An AFC general manager, “Play high school football. You learn ball every day for 4 years.
- If you don’t play high school football, volunteer at your high school. Will help you learn the game.
- Play college football. Another 4 years of practice and meetings to learn the game.
- If you don’t play college football, attend a college with a football program and volunteer to work there. Doesn’t matter what Division. Will help you learn the game.
- Apply for training camp internships. It’s been the best way to get your foot in the door. I was a summer intern in the ’90s.
- Place an emphasis on learning the X’s and O’s and techniques of the game rather than learning the techniques of scouting. Learning to scout is secondary until you have a base of football knowledge.
- The supply of potential NFL scouts is much bigger than the demand. Be prepared for a challenging pursuit of a job.
- When applying for internships, send cover letter and resume to all 32 teams. More lines in the water, better chance someone bites.
- Address resumes to Director of Player Personnel directly by name. Letters to GM’s can get lost in the shuffle too easy.
- Be willing to work in college recruiting departments. This is an emerging department, and the advent of the transfer portal will lead to more jobs in college. When there, network with NFL scouts when they visit.”
