In a recent article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson recalled his experience playing high school sports—and the lessons he learned in the process.

Nelson, a Super Bowl champion and the 2016 NFL Comeback Player of the Year, shared several anecdotes about his upbringing and his time at Riley County High School (Kan.), including how he earned money by working on the family farm, how he never purchased a pair of Jordan sneakers and how much he enjoyed playing four different sports in high school.

However, what Nelson shared about his recruiting process is perhaps most relevant for today’s high school football player.

Nelson describes how, while playing for Riley County, he once earned National Player of the Week honors.

That immediately triggered a slew of recruiting interest from colleges, none of which amounted to much.

“I got a lot of recruiting letters that week – and then I never heard from those colleges again,” Nelson wrote.

Despite his national recognition and mailbox full of letters, Nelson did not receive a single Division I scholarship offer.

Instead, he was a walk-on at Kansas State. Eventually, as a senior, he caught 122 passes for 1,606 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has since posted four 1,000-yard seasons in the NFL. The lack of fleeting interest of colleges during the recruiting process seemingly has had no negative impact on his success.

Nelson’s story is a reminder that athletes need to focus on what they can control: hard work, effort and striving to get better.

It also teaches us a recruiting lesson that’s truer today than ever.

In an age when highlight videos are ubiquitous and recruiting lists are easy for college coaches to obtain, receiving mail from a college does not count for much.

Similarly, just as in Nelson’s case nearly 15 years ago, earning a media write-up for being a top player won’t automatically lead to a scholarship offer.

Instead of obsessing over letters from colleges and media recognition, athletes should focus on their development, and let the recruiting process fall into place from there.

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