How old do you have to be to play in NFL? Exploring league's minimum age of eligibility

There's no minimum age needed to play in the NFL. To qualify for the National Football League draft, a player must be out of high school for at least three years and finish their college eligibility before the start of the next football season.

Sometimes, a player finishes their degree before the end of their college eligibility. In such cases, they should seek approval from the league's Player Personnel Staff to enter the draft early. Underclassmen only have until seven days after the NCAA National Championship Game to do so.

Once a player becomes draft-eligible, the Player Personnel Staff notify teams, scouts, agents and schools regarding the player’s status. They also work with the said parties regarding player workouts.

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Who was the youngest NFL player to be drafted?

Amobi Okoye, a Nigerian defensive tackle selected by the Houston Texans in the 2007 draft, is the youngest player to be drafted in the National Football League.

Okoye was 19 yeas and ten months when the Texans selected him with the tenth pick in the 2007 NFL draft. Okoye remains one of only two teenagers ever chosen in the NFL draft.

Okoye’s career started with a bang, as he was chosen as the Defensive Rookie of the Month for September 2007. He ended his debut season with 5.5 sacks, but that was as good as it got for the Nigerian wunderkind.

He played four seasons in Houston before signing with the Chicago Bears in 2011. He appeared in 25 games for the Bears over two years before missing the entire 2013 campaign while dealing with frequent seizures.

Okoye signed with America's team, the Dallas Cowboys, in 2015 but did not appear in a game. He hasn't been seen in the NFL since then.

How tough is it to make the National Football League?

It takes loads of sacrifices to make it to the National Football League. While there are thousands of football players, only 200 or more get selected every night.

Only 1.6% of college football players get drafted. Out of those players, only a handful play on the field. Those who do not get to play or are not named on the active roster are assigned to the practice squad instead, and they can work their way up from there.