Ottender told Vikerraadio's sports show "Spordipühapäev" on Sunday: "My short-term goal is to be able to play in a college in the United States next year. The long-term goal of making it into the NFL - I would not like to set that one yet. Life is greatly variable."

The wide receiver continued: "The long-term goal would be to get better each day, week and year. The work and results will be reflected in the way I play then."

Ottender said a lot still needs to be done: "You have to be honest with yourself: Are you putting in the time to go to the field to practice, to the gym, study games in your spare time, be a student of the game? Of course, the main principles and the sum of the game are clear but there is so-so much left to learn."

But there are also things out of his own control: "Since coaches of American colleges receive 100 or 200 e-mails a day, you have to get a little lucky for them to see your letter and open it to reply. Another thing is if they even need a player like me in the first place."

Ottender, currently training with Estonia's only team, the Tallinn Kings, added that he sends some 100 e-mails each week to different colleges. "The work off the field is hard," he smirked, adding that off-season training camps also help a lot, such as the NFL Academy held in London, where Ottender participated over the summer.

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