For anyone aspiring to partake in athletics at the collegiate level, walking on to an athletic program can be an intimidating task.

However, being a walk-on garners no less respect than that of a recruited athlete, and it can serve as an invaluable experience for those who dream of representing the cardinal and gold with pride.

In order to walk on to an athletic program, students are required to be enrolled full-time at Iowa State.

They must also provide documentation of a recent physical exam, which must include sickle cell testing, along with proof of health insurance.

Each athletic program has its own walk-on procedures.

For instance, ISU football holds tryouts that typically take place during the first week of both the fall and spring semesters of each year.

The different types of procedures give each potential athlete a chance to best show their skills and turn the heads of their evaluators.

The student athlete is required to schedule a mandatory meeting a couple of days before the tryout to obtain and complete a walk-on tryout clearance form.

The actual tryouts typically take up to an hour and consist of a quick warm-up, an agility drill, and drills that specifically focus on the position that the athlete is trying out for.

Students may also partake in camps that are hosted by the different programs. This gives them an opportunity to become familiar with the coaching staff, as well as develop their skills.

Sports like wrestling and soccer use their camps to offer insight and instruction that will focus on the technical and tactical approaches to the sport.

These camps are typically held in June, and aspiring athletes are encouraged to take part in them.

In time, many walk-ons go on to excel in their respective sports. Here are a few examples of former and current Cyclones:

Alexander Robinson

Football

A native of Minneapolis, Minn., Robinson chose Iowa State over Minnesota with the intent of making a name for himself on Saturdays.

He earned a scholarship under former coach Gene Chizik after his initial redshirt freshman season.

His breakthrough season came in 2009, when he rushed for 1,195 yards and six touchdowns, including six 100-yard games. That season, he averaged 5.2 yards per carry and 99.6 yards per game.

Caitlin Mahoney

Volleyball

Mahoney agreed to walk on for ISU coach Christy Johnson-Lynch after setting the Nebraska state record for service aces in a match, season and career in high school.

Mahoney became a difference-maker from the get-go, recording 367 digs and 39 service aces in her first two years at Iowa State.

Last season, she played in all 32 games and all 107 sets for the cardinal and gold.

Jesse Smith

Football

The nucleus of last season’s linebacking corps, Smith worked his way to the top to earn first-team All-Big 12 honors after first suiting up for the

Cyclones as a humble walk-on.

In his career, Smith recorded 305 tackles while averaging almost 11 tackles per game his senior season.

The most memorable play of his career came last season, in Iowa State’s historic 9-7 upset over Nebraska in Lincoln, where the Altoona native intercepted a pass with 1:31 remaining in the game to seal the deal for the Cyclones.

Jeff Hornacek

Men’s basketball

Hornacek is one of the most legendary examples of going from rags to riches as a walk-on at Iowa State.

The 1999 College Basketball Hall of Fame inductee first suited up for the Cyclones in the 1981-82 season and soon went on to break the Big

Eight record for all-time assists.

His leadership payed off during his senior season, when the Cyclones made it all the way to the Sweet 16 at the 1986 NCAA tournament.

He went on to join John Stockton and Karl Malone to lead the Utah Jazz to the NBA Finals two consecutive years.