NFL Dreams: USC players look for their chance in the pros

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It's 6:00am, cold and the sun is just beginning to peak through a cloud-covered sky, and Tony Burnett's daily training session is already underway. 

Burnett works out with a small group of athletes all aspiring to make it to the NFL.

"They tell you if you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life so it's a lot of work, it's a lot of stress, and it's a lot of time put in, but at the end of the day it's what I love to do," Burnett said. 

They run and jump up stadium stairs, bound across the track, sprint with weighted vests, and perform repetition after repetition of agility drills. 

Burnett, who has dreamed of playing in the NFL since he was a young boy has been training like this over the past month and a half to prepare for USC's pro day. 

"I took a week off after the bowl game to let my body heal up and rest a little bit and that following Monday I ot out there and I've been out here ever since," he said. 

On March 27 dozens of NFL scouts visited USC with stopwatches and clipboards in hand and meticulously recorded the results of physical tests like the 40 yard dash, bench press, and vertical jump.

For Burnett, pro day was the only opportunity he had to showcase his talents and earn a spot on an NFL roster. 

"It's everything. That's all I can really use as leverage is my pro day," he said. 

The reality is, most NFL scouts have never heard of Tony Burnett. As a part-time starter at USC, Burnett is well-respected at his school, but by no means a lock to be drafted. Still, Burnett invests his time, energy and money in the hopes of fulfilling his NFL Dream.

What motivates him? His aunt. She has been supporting Burnett for his whole life and an NFL paycheck would certainly help repay her for all she has done. 

"At the end of the day, that's what I do it for—to take care of me and my family. I would be able to do that and provide for them," Burnett said. 

He knows the chances are slim. He's thankful that he graduated from a school like USC and is confident that he could find another career if he had to.

"I might not make ti. So what do I do? That's why I finished school, got my degree so I can go out and use the USC network to find a high paying job," he said. 

That's not what Burnett wants, though. He's determined to to make it, even if he does only have one shot. While many players might buckle under that pressure, Burnett uses it to motivate him.

"Everday I wake up and I'm sore," Burnett explained. "I'm in pain and I just get up and I think if I go out there and I don't give it my all that could be the reason I don't make it. I don't want to have to look back and be like why didn't I make it. I want to look back and be like, this is why I made it."

If he does make it, he'll be one of the lucky ones. According to the NCAA, under two percent of all college football players end up actually fulfilling their NFL dream.