Football players are the best athletes on earth--you're an idiot if you think otherwise.

No way.

Keep in mind that the reason there are suddenly threads like this--Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, Jacoby Ford, C. J. Spiller, and also James Lofton, Randy Moss, etc.--were all sprinters.

How many track sprinters are making a living in the NFL?

A whole bunch

How many NFL players are making a living as a pro track athlete?

ZERO.

How many NFL players could even finish against Ashton Eaton?

Probably only the ones that ran hurdles in high school.

coach d wrote:

How many NFL players could even finish against Ashton Eaton?

Probably only the ones that ran hurdles in high school.

And just how long do you think Ashton Eaton would last on a football field? They would break him.

You mean, like they broke Trindon Holiday or James Lofton? And Randy Moss is (was?) roughly the same size as Usain Bolt.

Eaton has 10.2 speed. IF he has any football skills (doubtful), I think Eaton would last longer in the NFL as a WR than any DB would last in the decathlon.

It tends to be that sprinters that didn't play football in high school can't hang because they don't have skills rather than they get injured. Example: Justin Gatlin, who tried it.

coach d wrote:

How many track sprinters are making a living in the NFL?

A whole bunch

How many NFL players are making a living as a pro track athlete?

ZERO.

I am not saying I agree w/ the OP, but your point is weak.

If you are a high school track/football stud which are you likely to pursue?

That's a different argument than who is the best athlete. We would, of course, like to see more people like Jacoby Ford stick with track, but realistically, there are only 3 slots on a national team in the 100, and you have to be there to make the big money.

Now tell me how that NFL thing has worked out for Demps. But he's a 10.1 guy, and you have to be a 9.8X guy....

Of course, it varies by position, but it is generally true that NFL players are the best athletes in the world in terms of raw power and speed. But it is really more of a coincidence because there is no other sport that demand that level of power and speed. And in many other sports, the physique and focus on power and speed would be a liability. There is no reason for a soccer player to have the same upper body strength as an NFL player. They would just get tired after 20 min of trying to run with all that extra muscle. An NBA player would also not be able to stay on the floor for 48 min and would not have the same agility and touch with an NFL body.

Josh Hamilton's Addiction wrote:

NFL players are absolute freaks of nature.

Steroids and HGH isn't nature.

agility, coordination,and hand eye coordination are all sports related skills that a great runner may not possess. defensive backs are probably the best overall athletes in the world

Josh Hamilton's Addiction wrote:

Ok so obviously no football player is gonna beat Usain Bolt in a footrace--duh. But one of the worst parts of track and field is the indignant fans who think the sport actually hosts the best athletes on earth. Ashton Eaton would be destroyed on the gridiron, as would any other Olympian. There's just no contest. Football is the biggest, fastest, strongest form of competition on earth. NFL players are absolute freaks of nature. Track stars are b list athletes, most of whom just couldn't make it in real sports where the athletes are paid real well.

All that being said, I cannot stand football. I'm not a fan and I avoid watching it whenever possible. But I do recognize the fact that football players are obviously the best athletes on earth. Being angry about that isn't gonna help the sport of track and field.

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Another misguided troll?! Look, all athletics is "specific" with regard to the required skills/abilities for the particular sport.

If a culture highly values American football, then the best athletes with the ability to play that sport will probably show up. But it does not follow that "American" football has the biggest, strongest, fastest athelete on earth. All we can validly say is hat it has the best athletes suited to playing "american football".

Your point about Aston Eaton is silly! Why in he world can't we say that the best football players would be destroyed in Track & Field's Decathlon???! You're merely baised toward football.

If you are a high school track/football stud which are you likely to pursue?

The one that gives you money.

We have a two time state championship football team at the school I coach track.

You know how many are getting football money? None, 0, no one.

Two of them are going to play at a school that doesn't give scholarships AND they are both Ivy League STUDENTS in school.

You know how many track kids are getting money?

So far 3, and two (so far) have turned down money to go D3.

When it comes to power athletes a 70 foot shotputter produces 7 plus horsepower. The closest after that is an olympic lifter snatching over 200k creates 4.5 horsepower. Sprinting speed is down the list some.

I would have to agree with the OP's general point. The most talented American athletes nowadays end up playing football because it's the most popular sport. And if we're talking a mix of aerobic, anaerobic, speed, physical strength, etc, then I would have to put the safeties/RBs/linebackers in the NFL up against any other athlete, with decathletes being second place.

people on earth - but slobs, not athletes

runn wrote:

If you are a high school track/football stud which are you likely to pursue?

The one that gives you money.

We have a two time state championship football team at the school I coach track.

You know how many are getting football money? None, 0, no one.

Two of them are going to play at a school that doesn't give scholarships AND they are both Ivy League STUDENTS in school.

You know how many track kids are getting money?

So far 3, and two (so far) have turned down money to go D3.

All this post tells us is you live in a state with bad high school football. I'm pretty sure there are far more scholarships for football than track, and NFL players are certainly well paid, particularly compared to track stars.

I would say Rugby players; the size and power of football players, but with more endurance

Um..... wrote:

I would have to agree with the OP's general point. The most talented American athletes nowadays end up playing football because it's the most popular sport. And if we're talking a mix of aerobic, anaerobic, speed, physical strength, etc, then I would have to put the safeties/RBs/linebackers in the NFL up against any other athlete, with decathletes being second place.

Ahh... a sensible point about the safeties. They are some of the best general athletes. But please don't argue that the typical NFL safety could take Aston Eaton in the Decathlon. Be carful about the linebackers...they tend to be big...which will cost them endurance. Endurance is an aspect of "athleticism"!

What's funny is track enthusiasts don't give a crap if some meathead football player runs or jumps in track. They don't sit around going "geez, I really wish numbskull from the football team would come out here and really improve this sport". They don't care.

Consequently, most football fans or players don't give this subject any thought either. Only a few zeros like yourself feel like you have to enlighten anybody that will listen about how you think football players are the greatest thing in sports.

Based on that, I would say you weren't any good at either sport but still crave attention that you never earned.

Football is the biggest, fastest, strongest form of competition in America