Catching up with Collin: Whatever season it is, there's a jam-packed day filled with work

Editor's note: Collin Dixon has agreed to give readers an inside look at what goes into recruiting and the day-to-day trials and tribulations of being one of the most sought after players in Division I college football. Below is the third of a series of diary-type entries written by the Tallmadge junior.

In the fall, a typical day for me started at 7 a.m. when I woke up for school. I got to school around 7:35 and it ended at 2:40 p.m.

After school I lifted with my football team from 3-4 and then we practiced from 4-6. Normally after practice I would go get something to eat with my friends and sometimes go and watch our classmates' soccer or volleyball games.

At the end of the day, I would catch up on homework and usually play video games or watch YouTube if I had time.

I spent a lot of my weekends on unofficial visits, trying to see as many schools as I could. The weekends that I didn’t visit a school I spent Saturday morning watching film from Friday night’s game and watching our JV football team play and then I would spend the rest of the time hanging out with friends and family.

Catching Up With Collin I:: Tallmadge star Collin Dixon learns college football recruiting is a full-time gig

Catching Up With Collin II: Collin Dixon learns college football coaches like three-sport athletes over one-sport stars

Mixing basketball and football

In the winter, my schedule was pretty similar except it was basketball season instead of football. On top of basketball I trained for football every Sunday. During winter, there was a period of time when coaches were allowed to come to school to meet in person. During this time I was able to meet coaches that I didn’t have the opportunity to visit in the fall.

This was a really fun time because I was able to spend some time with a lot of coaches with great football minds and awesome football resumes. I was able to start building relationships with many coaches through messaging and phone calls, [and] some even came to a few of my basketball games.

At the end of the winter, recruiting slowed down because there is a NCAA dead period  and coaches could no longer come to school.

Cleats for both in track and football

Spring has been the same as the two previous seasons with the exception that I run track and I started working a part-time job.

I have also been able to attend several college spring football practices. For college athletes, spring practices are a time to learn the playbook, move your way up the roster, and play football again for the first time since fall.

For the recruits, however, spring practices are a time when you get to spend time with your position coach and in some cases the head coach, watch practice, tour facilities, and some schools even let you do a photoshoot.

The photoshoots were a lot of fun. Spring has been a very busy part of the recruiting process for me; most of the schools that are recruiting me invited me to come watch a spring practice.

I tried to go to as many as I could in a four-week span without missing too much school.

At the end of spring, the start of summer, there is another period of time when coaches are back out on the road visiting.

It’s been nice to catch up with coaches I saw in the fall and winter and meet some new ones.

— Collin Dixon, Tallmadge student, wide receiver and strong safety

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Tallmadge standout Dixon shows how full days get during recruiting