Former Fenton Graduates continue their Football Careers
December 8, 2017
After graduating high school, many students do not continue on with their sports. For some, they are able to advance with their sports in college. Even fewer make it past college to go on to play their sports professionally. For Fenton 2012 and 2013 graduates, kicker/punter Kenny Allen and wide receiver Mitchell Shegos, their dreams became realities.
“I always knew I wanted to play football professionally,” Allen said. “I wasn’t sure how it would work out but ever since I can remember I dreamed of playing football at the highest level.”
Currently, Allen is playing for the Hamilton Tiger Cats in the Canadian Football League. After playing with the Cleveland Browns over the summer, Shegos is currently a free agent.
“The biggest challenge from high school to college was the level of competition,” Shegos said. “In high school you get a team that has a handful of talented players but at the college level every player on the field is really talented so everything matters. You really have to focus on what you are doing so that you can put yourself in a position to make a play. It was pretty similar from college to the NFL. Every player is talented but the jump wasn’t as drastic.”
With each new step in the football world there can be new challenges. Such challenges could include a new team as well as new coaching staff.
“The biggest challenge from college to the NFL was the mental side of the game,” Shegos said. “Having to know over 200 plays in just a few days then go out and perform them was definitely tough. The playbook is much more dense than a college playbook especially depending on was scheme you came from in college.”
Most players will admit that their journey to where they are now did not come with ease. To make it professional many of them had to put in much hard work everyday.
“If you want to make it pro, don’t just talk about it, be about it,” Allen said. “Go out and do what it takes to make your dreams happen. Work harder than anyone, get in the weight room, go to the fields and practice, and pay attention in class.”
