Fisher Pair Walking NFL's New Road To Pro Football
By: Thad Brown
Updated: February 29, 2012
Corey Balcerzak and Dave Vosburgh hope to play pro football someday. They're training for the NFL Combine, but not the one in Indy.
Last year, the NFL started the Regional Combine program. This year, there are eight regional sites nationwide that are open to virtually anyone who wants a chance at pro football.
Balcerzak and Vosburgh will attend the regional combine in Cleveland March 17th. The best of the regionals advance to a Super Regional in Detroit at the end of March.
The NFL is not the only goal. Fisher grads Tim Bailey and Matt Lowney both participated in the first regional combine in 2011 and ended up with contracts in the Indoor Football League. It's a level below Arena Football, but it's also a start. Both Vosburgh and Balcerzak acknowledged that a job anywhere in pro football is as much a carrot as making the NFL.
The registration fee for the regional combines is just under 200 dollars, but that's just the start of the cost required. When you add up specialized training and travel, Balcerzak estimates the cost will be about 4,000 dollars. If his speed and agility numbers are not good enough this year, Balcerzak is planning another try at the regional combine next year. Two years of trying is expected to cost somewhere around 10,000 dollars.
Thad Brown caught up with Vosburgh and Balcerzak as they get ready for their big shot at pro football.
Last year, the NFL started the Regional Combine program. This year, there are eight regional sites nationwide that are open to virtually anyone who wants a chance at pro football.
Balcerzak and Vosburgh will attend the regional combine in Cleveland March 17th. The best of the regionals advance to a Super Regional in Detroit at the end of March.
The NFL is not the only goal. Fisher grads Tim Bailey and Matt Lowney both participated in the first regional combine in 2011 and ended up with contracts in the Indoor Football League. It's a level below Arena Football, but it's also a start. Both Vosburgh and Balcerzak acknowledged that a job anywhere in pro football is as much a carrot as making the NFL.
The registration fee for the regional combines is just under 200 dollars, but that's just the start of the cost required. When you add up specialized training and travel, Balcerzak estimates the cost will be about 4,000 dollars. If his speed and agility numbers are not good enough this year, Balcerzak is planning another try at the regional combine next year. Two years of trying is expected to cost somewhere around 10,000 dollars.
Thad Brown caught up with Vosburgh and Balcerzak as they get ready for their big shot at pro football.
