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How do you become a professional athlete?

7 perspectives · Updated · 3 min read

Most young athletes picture one road to going pro: a star in high school, a big scholarship, then the draft. For most professionals it didn't go that way.

The athletes here took different routes. Jon Dorenbos made the NFL undrafted. Shawn Harper went through junior college. Julian Christianson skated for 29 years before it paid the bills, and Ali Tetrick paid her own way to races in Europe.

Their answers cover what they did before anyone paid them, and what they'd tell a young athlete now.

The short answer

None of them got there on talent alone. Most took a long road: junior college, an undrafted contract, or years of paying their own way to compete. What they share is showing up every day before anyone was paying them to.

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Who you should listen to

Seven athletes who made it by different roads: two NBA players, two former NFL players, a pro cyclist, a pro ultrarunner, and a pro skateboarder. Listen for the route closest to yours.

  • Moses Moody · Golden State Warriors guard, 2022 NBA champion

    Listen for: What daily habits looked like on the way from high school to the Warriors.

  • Jon Dorenbos · NFL Pro Bowl long snapper and magician

    Listen for: Making a roster with no draft pick and no scholarship.

  • Shawn Harper · Former NFL player

    Listen for: The junior college route, and working past people who doubted him.

  • Elijah Bryant · Hapoel Tel Aviv guard, formerly Milwaukee Bucks

    Listen for: Why there's no shortcut, from a player who reached the NBA.

  • Ali Tetrick · Professional cyclist and former NCAA tennis player

    Listen for: Switching sports and paying your own way to compete.

  • Grant Barnette · Professional ultrarunner, Craft Elite Run Team

    Listen for: Turning pro in an endurance sport through years of results.

  • Julian Christianson · Pro skateboarder, 29 years on a board

    Listen for: Going pro in a sport with no draft: contests and side jobs.

What do pro athletes say about turning pro?

Moses Moody

Moses Moody

Golden State Warriors guard, 2022 NBA champion

2022 NBA champion

Why themWon a title in his rookie season with the Warriors and runs the Motivate One Foundation for young people in Little Rock.

Moses’s advice: Live like a pro before anyone calls you one: early lifts, film, diet, and staying ready.

I became one by living like a pro before anyone called me one: Little Rock to Montverde to Arkansas, 6 a.m. lifts, film after practice, clean diet, and then staying ready in Golden State so when minutes came, trust followed.

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Jon Dorenbos

Jon Dorenbos

NFL Pro Bowl long snapper and magician

NFL Pro Bowl

Why themPro Bowl long snapper for the Philadelphia Eagles who also performs magic on the big stage.

Jon’s advice: Undrafted and unrecruited, he made it by being on time, prepared, and ready every day.

I didn’t get drafted and I didn’t get a scholarship out of high school, so I made the Bills as an undrafted free agent by showing up every day on time, prepared, and ready to work. Put yourself in position to be successful, compete like your job is always on the line, and don’t quit on yourself.

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Shawn Harper

Shawn Harper

Former NFL player

Former NFL player

Why themRaised by a single mother in Columbus, Ohio, he made the NFL despite dyslexia, a stutter, and teachers who said he wasn't college material.

Shawn’s advice: Take the long road if you have to; hunger mattered more than any scouting report.

I became a pro athlete the long way: junior college, fighting through dyslexia and a stutter, after teachers told me I wasn't college material. Nobody was going to outwork me, and that hunger mattered more than any scouting report.

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Elijah Bryant

Elijah Bryant

Hapoel Tel Aviv guard, formerly Milwaukee Bucks

Former Milwaukee Buck

Why themPlays for Hapoel Tel Aviv after time with the Milwaukee Bucks, and shares his drills on YouTube.

Elijah’s advice: There's no secret hack: discipline, consistency, and trusting your own work.

I tell young hoopers all the time: stop hunting for a secret hack. There isn't one. It's discipline, consistency, and being your biggest fan when nobody else is. If you don't trust your work, you haven't done enough of it.

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Ali Tetrick

Ali Tetrick

Professional cyclist and former NCAA tennis player

Pro cyclist

Why themRaised on a California ranch, she went from triathlon and NCAA tennis to professional cycling.

Ali’s advice: Stop waiting for permission and bet on yourself, even when you finish second.

I started as an NCAA tennis player and triathlete, then spent my own money on plane tickets to Europe and grad school loans just to keep showing up at races. You become a pro when you stop waiting for permission and start betting on yourself, even when you finish second.

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Grant Barnette

Grant Barnette

Professional ultrarunner, Craft Elite Run Team

Pro ultrarunner

Why themUltrarunner on the Craft Sportswear Elite Run Team who hiked the Appalachian Trail.

Grant’s advice: Years of showing up and stacking results, with no single breakout race.

I turned pro in 2022 after stacking strong regional results, but the real base came from thru-hiking the AT and PCT, then placing second in my first ultra in 2018. For me it was never one breakout race; it was years of showing up, then proving I could balance persona and performance when brands came knocking.

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Julian Christianson

Julian Christianson

Pro skateboarder, 29 years on a board

Pro skateboarder

Why themDenver street skater, globally ranked on theboardr.com, with 29 years on a board.

Julian’s advice: Enter every contest you can afford instead of waiting to be handed a chance.

I skated for 29 years before it paid the bills, working restaurants, warehouses, and Uber between sessions. The pro part came from showing up to every contest I could afford, not from waiting until someone handed me a board.

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Everyone’s advice at a glance

How 7 people answer: How do you become a professional athlete?
WhoTheir advice
Moses MoodyGolden State Warriors guard, 2022 NBA championLive like a pro before anyone calls you one: early lifts, film, diet, and staying ready.
Jon DorenbosNFL Pro Bowl long snapper and magicianUndrafted and unrecruited, he made it by being on time, prepared, and ready every day.
Shawn HarperFormer NFL playerTake the long road if you have to; hunger mattered more than any scouting report.
Elijah BryantHapoel Tel Aviv guard, formerly Milwaukee BucksThere's no secret hack: discipline, consistency, and trusting your own work.
Ali TetrickProfessional cyclist and former NCAA tennis playerStop waiting for permission and bet on yourself, even when you finish second.
Grant BarnetteProfessional ultrarunner, Craft Elite Run TeamYears of showing up and stacking results, with no single breakout race.
Julian ChristiansonPro skateboarder, 29 years on a boardEnter every contest you can afford instead of waiting to be handed a chance.

How to become a professional athlete, step by step

  1. Train like a pro before you are one. Moses Moody describes early lifts, film after practice, and a clean diet long before the NBA.

  2. Show up where you can be seen. Julian Christianson entered every contest he could afford, and Jon Dorenbos made the Bills as an undrafted free agent by competing every day.

  3. Expect a longer road. Shawn Harper went through junior college, and Ali Tetrick paid for her own flights to European races.

  4. Trust the work. Elijah Bryant says there's no secret hack, only discipline and consistency.

Where they disagree

They split on what matters most. Moses Moody and Elijah Bryant put daily habits first. Grant Barnette and Julian Christianson point to years of visible results. Ali Tetrick's advice is to stop waiting for permission and bet on yourself.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a college scholarship to go pro?

Not always. Jon Dorenbos had no scholarship out of high school and made the NFL as an undrafted free agent, and Shawn Harper went through junior college.

Is it too late if I wasn't highly recruited?

Elijah Bryant was a two-star recruit and still reached the NBA. Several athletes here were overlooked early.

How long does it take to turn pro?

It depends on the sport. Julian Christianson skated for 29 years before it paid the bills, and Grant Barnette turned pro in 2022 after years of regional results.

The bottom line

Every athlete here was showing up long before anyone paid them to. Pick the one whose road looks most like yours and ask them what to do next.

How this page was made

We asked this question to athletes and coaches on Delphi. Each quote is that person's Delphi answering in their own words, built from their own interviews, podcasts, and posts, and shown as given. Delphi wrote the introduction, the summary, and the steps from their answers. Last checked .

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