Air Force Football To Benefit From New Department of Defense Policy

There is a chance that one day a new policy announced this week will be known as the Keenan Reynolds Rule.

The Department of Defense has loosened restrictions on the two year service requirement for athletes who graduate from one of the three military academies before they can pursue a career in professional sports. Navy's David Robinson and Air Force's own Chad Hennings both had to serve for two years before they joined the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Cowboys respectively. And while this new rule should help Reynolds' in his pursuit to make the Baltimore Ravens roster, there are current Air Force Falcons who might be taking advantage of these new rules in the not so distant future.

Two names that come to mind right off the top of most Air Force fans would be wide receiver Jalen Robinette and defensive back Weston Steelhammer. Robinette has excellent size and ability to be an NFL-caliber wide receiver. While he lacks over the top speed, he would be perfect with his running skills to be a weapon in a dink and dunk type offense utilized by now Miami Dolphin Head Coach Adam Gase when Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos became one of the best offenses of all time in 2014. He is also a monster blocker which should enhance his ability to stick with an NFL team.

Steelhammer is one of the most popular Falcons of all time, having been highly decorated since his debut in 2014. He is a ball hawking safety who has 11 interceptions in two years. But Steelhammer is an overall football player, as he is utilized in stopping the running game and has been sent on blitzes many times in his Air Force career. Steelhammer would be a valuable asset to any NFL team in today's pass happy league.

Currently, former Air Force tight end Garrett Griffin is trying to catch on with the New Orleans Saints. Griffin is part of the 90 man roster of the Saints as they prepare to head into training camp later this month. He now has a better chance of making the roster, or more than likely catching on with either the Saints or some other team's practice squad. It is the kind of situation where Griffin making the team in some way will allow the Falcons to use this new policy in their future recruiting opportunities. With this new rule, the Falcons along with Army and Navy can enter a new age of recruiting with the opportunity to get athletes that have dreams of playing professional sports and also getting one of the best educations in the nation with a service academy.