Who are the best overall athletes in the world? I am a global sports enthusiast and evaluator. In my experience, the best overall athletes in sport are NFL players.
This does not mean I am a great fan of the game, but the fact is they are the best of the best for a number of reasons.
A high percentage of the NFL is made up of African-Americans who are arguably the best natural athletes in the world, evident by their domination in all physical sports throughout history (sprinting, boxing, track & field etc).
The NFL tests a range of attributes at the highest level including speed, strength, toughness and coordination. The fastest men in the NFL are literally 0.4 seconds from world record times in the 100 metre and 40 yard dash. Indeed some NFL players have gone on to win medals at the Olympics.
The most impressive players in the league (LBs and RBs) average 6’3 260lbs with 2% body fat. The league is big and rich enough to draft and acquire the best athletes from anywhere in the world.
And, the reason they where helmets is to avoid skull fracture; it does not protect them from impact (concussion, spinal problems). The NFL is without a doubt the highest impact game around with a ridiculous amount of injuries based on speed to weight ratio. This impact alone prevents most any other athlete from any other sport from competing in the NFL.
That deserves some respect.
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Rabbitz said | November 8th 2009 @ 5:45am | Report comment
An impossible task…
It would be easier if you defined what you mean by “best”.
Best at running 100 metres? Then it is a sprinter.
Best at running 42 kilometres? Then it is a marathon runner.
Best at maintaining pure concentration over a 90 minute period? An Olympic air pistol shooter.
Best a judging the movement of wind and mirage over 1000 metres? A Long Range Benchrest Shooter.
Best at throwing a small ball, from a standing start? A baseball pitcher.
Best at jumping around on a 4″ wide plank of wood? A Gymnast
All are athletic endeavours, just because they are not all ‘manly’ contact sports does not eliminate them as athletes and does not eliminate them from being the best at a certain skill set.
A definition of some of the factors you mention such as “toughness” also need to be explored. What does it mean and how is it a measure of athleticism? I reckon Steve Monagety is pretty tough but would get squished by a defensive end (or what ever they call them).
Does outright speed make you an athlete? I would suggest Dean Lukin may have a differing opinion. Are weightlifters not athletes?
I would suggest that gymnasts doing the bars, rings or floor would also have excellent co-ordination as do fencers, are they not athletes?
However if you want an my guess as to the “best athletes” I would dismiss the NFL, AFL, FFA, NRL, IRB etc etc. I would say the “best athletes” are those would slog out the hard yards in their chosen field of sport, not for the fame and fortune but for the sheer love and enjoyment of the game. Those people you never see or give a thought to who do it for fun. They might not be the fittest, fastest, toughest, most co-ordinated or talented but they are having a go and having FUN. They are clearly the best athletes, ever.
sheek said | November 8th 2009 @ 6:51am | Report comment
I think this post came in praise of NFL, this is its purpose.
Interesting article, all the same.
Pippinu said | November 8th 2009 @ 7:22am | Report comment
260 lbs??!!
Impressive!!
(I guess – if I only I knew how much that really is)
MyGeneration said | November 8th 2009 @ 8:18am | Report comment
Close enough to 118 kg. Guys on the front lines (I don’t know all the positional names) regularly hit 300 lbs (136 kg). These guys aren’t expected to cover a lot of ground on a given down, as long as they do it EXPLOSIVELY!
Pippinu said | November 8th 2009 @ 10:54am | Report comment
In other words – they’re big mothers!!
Working Class Rugger said | November 20th 2009 @ 4:26pm | Report comment
Pip
About 120kg
MyGeneration said | November 8th 2009 @ 8:22am | Report comment
This is a link to an eye-opening article by Malcolm Gladwell on the punishment that NFL players (linemen especially) put themselves through, and the effect it has on their brains and bodies:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/10/19/091019fa_fact_gladwell?currentPage=all
prowling panther said | November 8th 2009 @ 9:40pm | Report comment
Geez that is scary
sheek said | November 8th 2009 @ 10:15am | Report comment
MG,
Awesome article from the link you provided. Well done!
Hell….. it’s crazy what these guys subject themselves to.
Ian Whitchurch said | November 8th 2009 @ 10:50am | Report comment
Much as I love my Seahawks, no. I wont call any set of athletes without aerobic fitness good ‘overall’ athletes.
Michael C said | November 8th 2009 @ 7:33pm | Report comment
Roadies for the ‘Stones.
on a half serious note though…..Mick Jagger and Keif!!! Great athletes.
Glen said | November 8th 2009 @ 8:40pm | Report comment
Interesting article…. flawed, but interesting.
I just want to take you to task on the African-American physicality issue. It is actually a myth that “black” athletes are physically stronger or more suited to strength and/or endurance events.
Study after study has found that is far more cultural than physical and it stems back to last century’s rampant racism.
It’s all about a lack of opportunity and/or facilities. Take the Ethiopian long distance runners for example. The tribesman run their entire lives, no jumping in the Hyundai to duck down to the shops… nope, they run… Between villages, to send messages, to hunt…. It is part and parcel of EVERY day of their life. Running requires no equipment apart from that which nature gave us ie: feet. Hence, they are pretty shit-hot runners!
The argument runs that if they are so much stronger, why the lack of great black athletes in the so-called white sports: golf, tennis, swimming. All require extensive facilities and equipment usually not available to African-Americans as late as the 1990′s
There are exceptions of course: Tiger Woods of course as well as the Williams sisters and Arthur Ash, but in general the white sports are dominated by white athletes because of deeply ingrained racism in the western world. If black athletes were are in fact more physically able, where are the great black pole-vaulters, gymnasts, martial arts, weight-lifters etc etc…
The argument for basketball being a predominately black game fall on it’s arse when you consider that there are basketball courts on every second street corner in every US city. Again, no special equipment requirements other than somebody with a ball.
I think you will find that in the sports where African -Americans have allowed to excel, gridiron, baseball, basketball etc, they have been fiercely and unashamedly recruited.
Nobody recruits a tennis player.
Just thought I’d throw it into the mix.
Gudfala said | November 8th 2009 @ 9:02pm | Report comment
Interesting. But as far as I know the only man of non-West African lineage who has broken 10 secs for the 100m is Patrick Johnson. Why is that? I can buy the argument that socio-economic factors can influence what sports people play (particularly golf, tennis etc) – but surely white dudes are given just as much opportunity to run fast as people with West African heritage? So what other factor could it possibly be?
Freud of Football said | November 8th 2009 @ 9:15pm | Report comment
That has to do with muscle structure: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Footspeed
African-Americans are generally built for power, hence their abilitiy to sprint so fast over short distances, jump so high off just a few steps and hit so hard.
Glen is somewhat correct in saying that the socio-economic factors play a role, we have no idea how good America would be at cricket if there was a field on every corner rather than a basketball court for example but in general, people find what they are good at and stick to it.
It’s not like there has never been a chance for an African-American to become a pole-vaulter or try billiards, the opportunities have been there but in their culture becoming an NBA basketballer would probably be more favourable than playing darts.
Jerome said | November 9th 2009 @ 6:31pm | Report comment
Another factor is that people of West African heritage actually have more muscle fibres in the gluteus maximus. Their glut max attaches up to 20% further along the gluteal line on the ilium. The glut max is the main extensor of the hip and is responsible for the power generated during sprinting and jump etc. Having a larger glut max gives atheletes of West African heritage a distinct advantage in power sports such as sprinting.
bever fever said | November 8th 2009 @ 8:58pm | Report comment
I am not sure i agree with you on this, personally i think different races excell in different sports due to their race.
Many of the world’s best runners originate from distinct regions of Ethiopia and Kenya, rather than being evenly distributed throughout their respective countries this appears to further sustain the idea that the success of EAST African runners is genetically mediated.
African americans and west indians of african descent appear to have a mortgage on the sprints with the top hundred fastest times attributed to them, these people have all come from WEST of AFRICA
Ukranians/Russians or peoples from around that area are renowned for their feats of strength and weightlifting.
westy said | November 8th 2009 @ 9:47pm | Report comment
Now i understand why over a billion Indians quarter of a billion Pakistanis and Afganis and 200 million are largely crap at sport. it is all so clear. It must be their genes.