Of the scores of Dartmouth students who walk across the stage at Commencement, only a small handful try to pursue careers in professional athletics. The Dartmouth sat down with three recently graduated Dartmouth athletes who discussed the timeline, process and hurdles faced while attempting to go professional.
Dominick Pierre ’14, a former Big Green running back, did not think he would play professionally when he matriculated. Since then, he sought advice from other athletes — those who went professional and those who opted not to.
“I decided to give it a shot since it is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” he said. “I love the game of football, so I decided to pursue professionally at least while I can.”
He started applying to different positions and different teams by junior spring, he said, and the process is ongoing.
Pierre aims to play football professionally, either with the National Football League or in Canada.
“I just want to enjoy the game of football as long as I can while I’m young,” he said.
For free safety Garrett Waggoner ’13, the process began much earlier than Pierre’s. Waggoner graduated in the fall, and then returned home to Sarasota, Florida to train for NFL Combines, a tournament similar to playoffs. Waggoner attended a regional combine in Tampa, Florida. Following the Tampa regional, he also took part in Dartmouth Pro Day, where scouts come to watch players train. Waggoner described the process as drawn-out and stressful.
“I did well at the regional and the Pro Day, so after all of that it was a waiting game,” Waggoner said.
Following Pro Day, his agents had been in contact with teams and he was invited to a rookie mini camp tryout with the Detroit Lions. Waggoner said he felt he played well at the camp, but he did not get signed for organized team activities.
“With free agency being pushed back later and teams signing more veteran free agents, there are less spots for rookies,” he said.
Waggoner has continued to train in Florida and has workouts with the San Diego Chargers, Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars next month.
“The NFL is funny — anyone can get hurt, arrested, et cetera any week, and teams need a new player,” he said.
Waggoner said his ultimate goal is to make a 53-man roster in the NFL. Other opportunities to play professionally include the Canadian Football League or being a “practice spot player” for an NFL team, meaning he would not play in official games.
Waggoner and Pierre note that playing professionally is a dream that means putting off a regular, more traditional working lifestyle for at least a few year.
“I’d rather take my shot at it and see what happens instead of always wondering ‘what if,’” Waggoner said. “The professional world will be there afterwards, and having a Dartmouth degree is a big ticket on a resume.”
After pursuing football, Pierre said he is considering going into marketing.
Track and field runner Abbey D’Agostino ’14, the most decorated individual female athlete in Ivy League history, signed a multi-year contract with Team New Balance on Tuesday. The Topsfield, Massachusetts native is now back in the Boston area beginning her new career as a professional runner alongside her Dartmouth coach and former Olympian Mark Coogan, who now works with the New Balance team.
D’Agostino said that NCAA restrictions have affected the timeline of going professional. These rules stipulate that athletes cannot agree either orally or in writing to play professionally until after they have finished competing at the collegiate level. They also cannot take pay, or the promise of pay, for competing.
She said she could gauge other coaches’ interests but could not speak seriously to them until her college running career concluded.
D’Agostino said she sought a company that shares her values and is already familiar with New Balance because they sponsor Dartmouth and because Coogan continued to work with D’Agostino even after leaving Dartmouth for New Balance’s running sports marketing division in January.
“We already had a relationship with New Balance and I’m fond of their products,” she said. “I really like the company culture and the sense of community as well as the joy for the sport.”
After attending trials and nearly qualifying for the 2012 Olympic Games, D’Agostino ultimately aims to compete in the 2016 Olympics.
“This goal has been there in the distance for two years kind of informally, but now it’s something that is a real possibility,” she said. “It’s great that I have some time to transition into running as a career and get comfortable with running professionally before the trials.”
Running professionally comes at a cost, however, as D’Agostino said she needs to postpone other career aspirations. She said she hopes to eventually go to graduate school and attain a master’s but may get part-time jobs or volunteer to build her resume for graduate school.
“To really prioritize the sport, it is hard to do both of those at once,” she said.
