It’s that time of year — where high school seniors take their final final exams, graduate and turn their attention full-time onto their college football career.

Hopefully onto their academic future as well.

But if you were a star in high school, do not rest on your laurels. You are guaranteed nothing at this level. In many places, your coach may be dissing Division III, saying that if it’s not scholarship, it’s not real football, that it’s just an extension of high school. That’s bull—-, ill-informed rhetoric from people who might well be looking to pad their own resume rather than toward your future.

So when you come to Division III, don’t do what this player did in an e-mail to D3football.com:

Look out for me next year im planning to do be things next year. My name is (player’s name here) I will be attend (D-III school name here) next year. So just keep a heads up and you should be hearing about me soon.

Let me just say this: Division III football is not just an extension of high school. Yes, there are a few hundred programs that are allegedly and have some talent, but that doesn’t mean Division III is devoid of talent and that you can just step in and expect to “do be things next year” — whatever that means.

I removed the player’s name and school’s name to protect the innocent, though I did not fix any grammar, obviously. That is an actual e-mail we received here at D3football.com within the past week.

To the young man who e-mailed — it’s a good thing it was e-mail and not the message board. Your conference’s posters would eat you alive. And with every sack you take over the next four years — though there was a sophomore who started at your position at your school last year, so expect some clipboard-holding — you’d get an earful from the stands.

To freshmen — welcome aboard, to both Division III football and to D3football.com. But be prepared to work. It does not get handed to you. No matter what you did in high school.