Could Olympic gold-medal sprinter Bolt charge into the NFL?

[BruceFlorman]

I don't think this has been posted elsewhere...

Could Olympic gold-medal sprinter Bolt charge into the NFL?
By Gil Brandt | NFL.com

Someone asked me the other day what I thought about the idea of making Olympic gold-medal sprinter Usain Bolt a football player. Let's put it this way: If Hall of Fame general manager Tex Schramm and I were still running the Cowboys, we'd be in Jamaica right now waiting for Bolt's plane to land.

That's not to say anyone can predict what the fastest human being alive might do on a football field. But in a sport that places such a premium on raw speed, why not take a chance on a guy who just shattered world records?

Full story at http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d ... nfirm=true

[yung4evr]

Would be a VERY unwise decision IMHO. This has been attempted before with unspectacular results. I'm sure the money will be the ultimate attraction, but I would think twice about giving up being the best in the world to a "bench warmer".

[scottmitchell74]

This has been attempted before with unspectacular results.

It has also been attempted before with NFL changing results.

Bullet Bob Hayes, who deserves to be in the Hall, was an incredible impact player.

Ollie Matson was a multiple Medalist in the 1952 games and went on to a Hall Of Fame career in the NFL.

[26mi235]

Well, at least we would get a 3.xx 'football 40', and they would know what FAST is.

[yung4evr]

This has been attempted before with unspectacular results.

It has also been attempted before with NFL changing results.

Bullet Bob Hayes, who deserves to be in the Hall, was an incredible impact player.

Ollie Matson was a multiple Medalist in the 1952 games and went on to a Hall Of Fame career in the NFL.

No doubt Bobbie Hayes was a fabulous player, but that was a different era. The NFL defenses of today are much more complex, faster, and quicker. Raw speed by itself just doesn't translate as easily to success as it did at one time. And if I'm not mistaken, BH was the last world class sprinter without prior football experience that could be considered a NFL "great".

[tandfman]

No doubt Bobbie Hayes was a fabulous player, but that was a different era. The NFL defenses of today are much more complex, faster, and quicker. Raw speed by itself just doesn't translate as easily to success as it did at one time. And if I'm not mistaken, BH was the last world class sprinter without prior football experience that could be considered a NFL "great".

You are mistaken. Bob Hayes played football both in high school and college.

[eldrick]

i reckon bolt coud make transition

he used to play cricket ( bowler ) & that involves hand/eye co-ordination & also lot of catching of ball

football is different type of ball, but he'd have the pre-requisites

[tandfman]

i reckon bolt coud make transition

he used to play cricket ( bowler ) & that involves hand/eye co-ordination & also lot of catching of ball

Does it involve getting tackled by large men after they catch it? The wear and tear that football players are subjected to is much different from what athletes in non-contact sports must endure.

[croflash]

Bolt is a fan of basketball though, he wants to meet Kevin Garnett.

[George P.]

With the world (including shoe companies and meet directors) at his feet, and without any known background in the sport (does he even know the rules?), this would be the most bone-headed decision of all time.

[dukehjsteve]

i reckon bolt coud make transition

he used to play cricket ( bowler ) & that involves hand/eye co-ordination & also lot of catching of ball

Does it involve getting tackled by large men after they catch it? The wear and tear that football players are subjected to is much different from what athletes in non-contact sports must endure.

Nehemiah was never the same after his classic clock-cleaning in an NFL game. I'm amazed he ever got up.

[jazzcyclist]

No NFL team will be willing to guarantee him the kind of money he will make in track over the next 7-10 years. A bird in the hand is worth more than no birds in the bush. Also, Bob Hayes once said that if sprinters of his day made the kind of money that Carl Lewis and Michael Johnson made, he would have never played pro football.

[Kevin Richardson]

Hell no. Football "speed" is actually more quickness. It is quite rare that an athlete gets the opportunity to build up the speed over 20 meters. Usain's height and slower start would not transfer well. Now if they made the fields twice the distance, we might have something to talk about.

[guru]

Race brewing between Bolt and the NFL's newest member of the 2000 rushing yards in a season club, the Titans Chris Johnson.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4794525

Johnson no slouch as a prep at 10.38/21.30. Doesn't look like he ran at East Carolina.

Interesting, and somewhat mystifying, that Bolt's camp is currently against anything shorter than 60. It would be a great chance to see how a "football" guy would stack up against the worlds best sprinter at the stat we always scoff at - football 40 yards(Johnson's combine best 4.24). Frankly, no other distance makes sense from an interest standpoint.

[Daisy]

football 40 yards(Johnson's combine best 4.24). Frankly, no other distance makes sense from an interest standpoint.

I'd like to see a football scenario (cleats and 40) and a track scenario (spikes, blocks and 60m with accurate 10m splits).