Why Do NFL Players Say Their High School Instead of College?

As one of the major leagues in the United States, the NFL has a wide range of fans that attend games ranging from Super Bowls to friendly matches.

While the players are the main stars of the game, the NFL has a unique way of introducing them to the audience. With each player being charming in their own way, the only other way to stand out is by introducing themselves in the finest way possible.

Meanwhile, some NFL players say their high school name as a reference rather than the college. Why do they do that?

Apparently, there are many reasons why NFL players prefer to speak about their high school names instead of college. Some NFL players prefer to say their high school because they want to show appreciation for where they learned the sport, and some even had a bad experience with the college. In other cases, some NFL players may not have graduated from college. 

Explained: Why NFL Players Prefer To Say Their High School

In the United States, a high school is a place where many athletes are born, whether in Basketball or Football. Since we’re focusing on Football, let’s stick with that for the time being.

Although the NFL has a rule of not scouting the players who do not leave high school and have a bare minimum of three years to be of eligible age, that doesn’t stop these players from loving the school.

After all, it is a place where people make mistakes and memories and learn from little things when they become adults, especially with Football, as there are many competitions yearly.

So, the major reason many NFL players like to say their high school name on TV during the game introductions is because they want to get some recognition for the place that put them on the map.

This way, more opportunities will be available for the students coming from a school attended by a famous NFL star, which is the most amazing thing one could do as payback.

Another reason is not being satisfied with college or not attending it at all. While college sure is a fantastic place for people who are just maturing, it might not be the same for these athletes.

Some may have had bad experiences with their coaches due to their opposing principles or simply did not like the years of college as much as the high school.

In such cases, players prefer to say their high school, and given how creative they can get, and there are no rules that they must state their last-affiliated education, it is up to players to decide.

On the other hand, not all NFL players graduate from college due to various financial and personal reasons. In that case, they have no other option but to say their high school during their introductions.

There are also other reasons, such as being cool, as plenty of NFL players want to stand out from the crowd, so they use their high school names to bring a sense of humor even though they attend an esteemed university.

Some of the players who prefer to use their high school names in the introduction include Jalen Ramsey, Randy Moss, Greg Hardy, and Tony Gonzalez.

So, do you know any NFL players who have graduated from an esteemed university but still use their high school’s name during introductions?