Sometimes, when I’m having a beer in a pub after a rugby game, people who’ve heard that I spent a number of years in the States ask me the same question: do I think ‘so and so’ would make it in the National Football League?
I give them the same answer – probably not. If they want to know why not, I expand on my reply (as long as they’re buying).
Firstly, the competition for places is incredibly fierce. There are 32 teams in the NFL each carrying 53 players on their active roster plus a further eight who make up the practice squad. So that’s 61 pros per team, which works out to a total of 1,952 players employed by NFL clubs.
Just about all of these players come from college football programs. A few make a team as a walk-on – people who played only in high school turn up for a try out and are accepted – although this is pretty rare.
There are hundreds of college football teams in the US, from famous powerhouses like Michigan, Ohio and Notre Dame to tiny institutions like Shanandoah and Carroll. Factoring in all the big and small colleges, the average number of players per team works out to around 40, making a total of 80,000 or so college players.
Not all of them want a career in the NFL – for one thing most of them know they’re too small, too slow or too clumsy to make it, plus many of them can earn a lot more money in the professions – medicine, law, finance, IT etc – without having to put their bodies on the line every Sunday.
But the vast majority would be thrilled to be on national TV and become a name in America’s favourite sport. For one thing, the average NFL salary works out to $800,000 per year, which is a lot more than they could earn as a bean counter at Ernst & Young or assistant manager at their local Safeway.
However, if they do make a team, and after a couple of seasons prove to be a game-changer on offence or defence, their agent can get them something like $25 million over five years. And if they become a genuine, magazine-cover star, they can really rake in the big bucks – the Colts’ Peyton Manning earned something north of $42 million last year in salary, bonuses and endorsements.
But in order to become a well-paid football pro there’s still that hump to overcome, the colossal competition, and that begins at high school level.
There are about 98,000 high schools in America, and just about all of them have some kind of football program. At some, football is the be all and end all of existence.
For example, Lassiter High in Marietta, Georgia, has a huge, 3 million-dollar Jumbotron. And there are similar set ups in Texas high schools where Friday night football is by far the biggest and most important event of the week.
Nationwide, these schools average about 27 members per team, so we’re talking about well over two and a half million high school players. Some of these players attract the attention of college scouts by scoring multi touchdowns, running jawdropping times at track meets, or both. There’s currently a 17-year-old high school kid who’s run a 10.2. The scouts are all over him.
There’s no question you have to be super talented to get an NFL contract. And don’t think for a moment that those huge guys on the line with the bulging buttocks and Budweiser tummies can’t move.
One of the Dolphins’ tackles, Paul Soliai, who tips the scales at a svelte 160 kgs, can backpedal on defence in nothing flat, and the Ravens’ Bryant McKinnie, who’s two inches taller than Nathan Sharpe and 50 kgs heavier, can hard-charge across the line an instant after the snap.
As for the guys now playing major rugby who’d make it in the NFL, I can only think of one with a real shot, and that’s Sonny Bill Williams. He’s tall enough and fast enough to make a good tight end, leaping high in the flat to haul down a pass. And he’s big enough to handle the other tight end chore, which is blocking a player zeroing in on his quarterback.
JP Pietersen is another who might qualify for a try out, along with George North and Alex Cuthbert, but all three would need to bulk up. Bryan Habana has the required jinks and is probably fast enough to be a punt or kickoff returner.
Ma’a Nonu, who has excellent acceleration and smart lateral moves, would go close as a halfback. Manu Tuilagi could try out for the same spot. Scott Higginbotham has the size to be a fullback and has good top speed but probably not the explosive start he’d need from the snap.
Pierre Spies is big enough and fast enough to try out at outside linebacker. David Pocock and Wycliff Palu could think about the middle linebacker position but they’d both have to hit a lot harder. Fulgence Ouedraogo, the French flanker, is quick enough and tall enough to defend on short passing plays out wide.
But there’s nobody now playing international rugby who’s fast enough to play defence against any of the NFL wideout pass receivers.
Looking backwards, a young Rupeni Caucaunibuca would certainly have starred as a tackle-busting tailback. Once into the secondary he’d be gone. Doug Howlett might have been a possibility as a pass receiver on a quick slant as would Jeff Wilson who had a wonderful stride.
David Campese, with his great broken-field running, might have made it a kick returner and Ron Jarden, with his breathtaking acceleration, would have been a game-winning scatback and receiver on short passing plays.
But the guy who would have been a superstar is Jonah Lomu. There are plenty of men his height now playing, but nobody his height has the speed Jonah could turn on, nor the power of his charge toward the line. I believe the scouts wanted him to try out but Jonah didn’t want to leave home.
Something close to a dozen Aussies punters have made the NFL, all but one of them coming from the AFL. And I believe interest was shown in several rugby place kickers like Johnny Wilkinson, Paul Thornburn, Morne Steyn and Frans Steyn.
But it’s not enough to get the ball over the crossbar from 52 yards out. You also have to get the ball up in a hurry to get over the leaping linemen trying the block the kick, and this is a tough trick to master.
So there it is – my take on who would and wouldn’t have a shot at playing in the NFL. I’m sure Roarers have some other names to suggest. Let’s hear them.
Dadiggle
Guest
Any rugby player can play in the NFL if you juice him up like they do with the avg NFL player.
Vhavnal
Roar Rookie
true eh?, rugby players are regarded as FAT as per their BMI but honestly they need to change that for sport stars
IvanN
Roar Guru
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=532Jd4Lylhc
IvanN
Roar Guru
You mean Coopie, SBW's personal towel boy and biggest groupie ?
IvanN
Roar Guru
then it would be called Rugby League
IvanN
Roar Guru
Pierre Spies is the fastest Springbok over 40m a source close to the team confirmed, even faster than Habana...at 6"3 and 238 pounds He also bench presses 440pounds and can box jump over 1.4 meters. Im not sure what the criteria is for positions in the NFL, but being faster than Habana with that much size, is impressive.
Crazy Horse
Guest
The posts at the end of the try zone is an interesting concept worth considering for rugby. I saw rugby game at Harvard with the posts there. It didn't effect the game significantly and they are out of the way when play is on the line. The only thing is that it might make penalties a bit harder to get but IMHO that would be a good thing.
Jaredsbro
Roar Guru
Well actually very significant parts of the world like Iran (I'll remind you once called Persia) would genuinely agree with this statement...mostly because unlike the US, most of the world actually respects history and seem to have little problem giving credit to those civilisations who have made it.
Jaredsbro
Roar Guru
Yes and unfortunately since Walter Camp the NCAA and then the NFL (in tow) have been all about deliberately neglecting this part of the history of the game. Personally I think American Football is Yale's revenge against Harvard (who wanted a game much more like the English twenty and then fifteen a side code not least of all because they were the best at it) And this is because of ancient rival between these ivy league uni, but also because Camp and Yale was actually heavily influenced by the FA, not in terms of the code they played but in terms of how to get the code they played = compromise enough when it comes to the code and maybe you'll wipe out any opposition who is seen to be too out there/radical!
soapit
Roar Guru
no mate, that would be 5.6 times more likely
mania
Guest
different stats from different articles. the one i read by a tongan in america quoted 80 times more likely. my bad saying 80% slip of the typing fingers
Ray
Guest
Most NFL teams do indeed have one of more Polynesians on their roster. Check out the 60 Minutes special on the NFL's "football factory" in American Samoa. (sorry, saw that it's already been posted)
Neuen
Roar Rookie
Mark that is true and the US captain said back the n if the Olympics had more media coverage back then they it would have been the US favorite past time sport. The French killed it after they lost a couple of timews in it.
Neuen
Roar Rookie
I notice that they said drug overdose and suicides are the main problem in the NFL. But OD and suicide is something you can blame on the players. Causes Of sudden Death in 387 Young Athletes Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy - 102 which is 26 percent Drug abuse - Drug Abuse which is 1.6 percent of that total That is what I have against the NFL. They do not care about the players welfare and always shif the blame game towards the players. We played American football a lot of times with friends and especially when its raining its fun to play. But then again you do not have the pressure of staying above 350 pounds in your backyard. I also read in college football around the early 1900's 11 people were killed in one season in college football alone and that is where they decided to wear extra protection. There was calls to ban the sport but they stepped in and made some laws to stop some of the serious injuries.
Neuen
Roar Rookie
Professional Rugby union players. And they are not fat and unfit. Check their BMI Cheers
FraggleWrangler
Roar Rookie
I've spent quite a bit of time in the US (married an American), one thing I noticed was the unbelievable support they had for high school football. One high school team near Pittsburgh had 15,000 people attend a game while I was there. I remember playing rugby league in high school and there were two people on the sideline - our coach and their coach.
mania
Guest
Neuen - we'll agree to disagree. i reckon your over simplifying the gridiron player. when i played rugby i'd be lucky to get in 10 hits for the whole game. in gridiron i put in 10 hits a quarter without taking into a/c ball carries. i dont watch NFL so i dont have the stats to counter your argument. my experience comes from playing it and playing against americans and having a beer with them afterwards
Neuen
Roar Rookie
No mania. Rugby players are trying to avoid a collision when on the attack by try running into space. That is the concept of course altough there are 30 guys on the field who are required to tackle, run, pass and be competitive on their feet without add breaks, time outs and committee meetings after every play. So guy in rugby have to do what 22 guys in NFL must do. Also all of them must be able to take contact. From 1 to 15. Quarterbacks in NFL do not look so good after taking a couple of hits. How long do you think will Tom Brady be out after a hit like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nwDTIiGSEYs In one game of rugby they make about 90 to a 120 tackles per game while on some occasions flankers make 13 tackles per game and compete for the ball at 120 rucks plus every time there is a collision. While this they must be able to think on their feet the whole time. He diesn't just tackle and not participate in in attack. Theyy will always support the ball carrier. Lets not forget the 35 minutes vs 11 minutes of ball in play time which the latter belong to a avg NFL game
mania
Guest
neuen - i just looked it up and yeah i was confusing obesity with over weight
Neuen
Roar Rookie
Mania. I think you do not know what Obesity is, Yes what about weightlifting Hossein Rezazadeh who was advised his physician and medical athletic trainer, not to participate in the 2008 Olympics due to his severe hand injuries and his high blood pressure.. But superheavyweight lifters sre always trying to develop muscle mass; this, in turn, usually results in a significant increase in body fat. If the weight of the lifter's body increases by 10 kg, the amount of work performed will increase by 7 kg meters more or less. Top lifters are rarely obese, they just don't have any incentive to be underweight. Also you get two basic types of muscle fibers, often referred to as slow twitch and fast twitch. Fast twitch produce high levels of force for short periods of time and are best suited for power activities such as weightlifting. But muscle length is another important factor in strength and persons with short limbs tend to be able to lift more weight because of advantageous leverage factors. Hence why their are mostly so short in lifting. But do you fat to protect your body against hits or to gain strength? You cannot get big and strong on 3000 kcal/day. And you cannot eat 7000/day and eat perfectly 'clean'.