ESPN discussion: Usain Bolt's potential as wide receiver

Bullet Bob Hayes was actually the first track star to translate his track success and speed into NFL $$. He was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame a few weeks ago. Other than that - no track athlete has ever really had great success in the NFL. Bo jackson ran a 4.12 40yd dash - which would've put him up there with the top sprinters of his time, but he was an awfully big man to translate that to 100m world-class speed.

Mike Rowave wrote:

renaldo hehamiah, imo. is the best track athlete of all time, he played in the nfl, he did not do very well, and he got decapitated, bolt would take one hit by a fs or a mlb and he would never be the same, nehamiah had great hands, does bolt?

Its one of the great tragedies in sport that Nehemiah went to the NFL instead of pursuing track. I could be overstating it here but I recall him being to the 100M hurdles what Edwin Moses was in the 400M hurdles. His going pro should have made track promoters ashamed of themselves for keeping money out the pockets of track athletes. At the very same time it was an insult to NFL players by having the notion that you if you can run fast in a straight line you can be a good receiver. Although RN did play college football, I recall he was pretty inept at getting open in the NFL. Its one of the great needless wastes of talent I know of in modern sports history.

Saying "the best athletes go where the money is" is a huge oversimplification. In skill sports, great athletes don't have the option of deciding to do something else in their 20s to make more money. They have to have already invested a decade or so in training. They make that decision when they are children. Unless it's immediately obvious that they have a good chance to be a professional (remember that the vast majority of great young athletes never become pros), then choosing a sport based on earning potential makes little sense. Mostly, kids play what they think is fun. Kids growing up in Kenya want to be soccer players.

On the other hand, our best paid athletes are the ones in the spotlight. This means that they are far more likely to be role models. It also makes the sport glamorous. Whether or not a kid thinks he has a chance at the NFL, he might simply choose football for the transitory fame of the high school game.

These crossover projects between two sports are rarely successful so I wouldn't recommend Usain becoming a NFL player. Most of the pros have been playing football since their early childhood and therefore have a lot of practice and experience. There are not many successful crossover athletes in the history of American Football: http://plaza.ufl.edu/fabiann/history-nfl.html Bolt is so successful as a sprinter, he doesn't need to change anything, he's already a rich man, so he should stick with running.

good athletes do not go where the money is at, they go to whichever sport they love to play / watch. it just so happens that many americans like football more, and unless they're REALLY good at track, they would have more fun there.

remember drew henson? dude could've been a 1st round draft pick in the NFL, if not 1st overall, and chose to try baseball instead because it was more fun. ended up barely getting called up to the yankees and then switched to football

Agreed, the idiots at ESPN actually think it would benefit Bolt ot be in the NFL. He is more popular where he is and free to compete where and when he wants. he travels the world instead of being dragged around the USA with a bunch of guys who like to hug each other and roll around on the ground together.

If he could learn to run routes and catch balls he'd be a decent WR. Needs to put on about 30lbs though.

Ask 100 American Men "Who's the fastest sports star" and 95 will say some football player, 3 will say Usain Bolt, and 2 will say Phelps!

Alan

Runningart2004 wrote:

If he could learn to run routes and catch balls he'd be a decent WR. Needs to put on about 30lbs though.

Ask 100 American Men "Who's the fastest sports star" and 95 will say some football player, 3 will say Usain Bolt, and 2 will say Phelps!

Alan

Hey jagaloon, ever heard of Rajon Rondo?

One of the biggest reasons Renaldo Nehemiah didn't make it in the pros by his (Montana's) admission he (Montana) couldn't get the ball to him fast enough. Of course he could throw quickies on a slant but that wasn't utilizing Nehemiah's speed.

You need alot of lateral quickness also. Timing, coordination too. Yes he's tall and fast, but to be that fast in a straight line means he's so specific for running straight ahead, you cant tell how he would be in all dimensions. Jerry Rice was not the fastes WR, neither were many of the best WRs

why does everybody on here think that the only factor in football is speed? like the tool who thinks that bolt would be as good as jerry rice must be retarded? do you realize what an unreal athlete rice was? his hands were the best the game has ever seen. for all we know bolt may not even be able to catch a ball. plus, for recievers speed is a factor, but quickness is an even greater factor. quick = side to side, speed is just straight line speed. You've got to be so quick, have amazing jumping ability, and have incredible hands, and you have also got to have great field sense. Bolt would obviously fail miserably playing football. It's funny on this site because nobody seems to understand that a good athlete is not somebody who runs distances in a short time. A good athlete is that 300 pound guy who can throw a perfect spiral, drains three pointers, and accomplish other athletic feats. For the most part, track and field athletes are the most unathletic professional athletes in that many of them are probably uncoordinated and do not excel at any other sports.

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