The Decathlon point is probably the strongest argument against an NFL player running 4:30. If most DECATHLETES can't do it, what chance does a football player have? Decathletes even (nominally) TRAIN for it! A football player only trains to run 100 yards max!
asdfgh wrote:
wrote:Ted Ginn Jr for example, ran a 46.57 400m in High School. He didn't run track in college, but he definitely could cruise to a 4:30 mile with that speed.
Apparently you've never watched the 1500 in a decathalon.
Ted Ginn Jr would get smoked in a decathlon. I've never seen a 5'11 175 pound guy do anything in a decathlon. But I have seen Ted Ginn Jr run 3x 800m, sub 2:00 at a track practice.
Decathlon point is probably the strongest argument for an NFL player running 4:30. Elite decathletes train similarly to NFL players, share a similar body type, and a fair number of them can run a 4:30 mile (at the end of a decathlon, even faster in a straight mile). Elite decathletes are far worse athletes than NFL players (the reason that they are working at Home Depot to finance their hobby rather than making millions isn't their love of decathlon). If unathletic decathletes that barely train for the mile break 4:30, of course some NFL players can break 4:30.
oh brother wrote:
No. Wrong.
I am not saying that 80% of their training has to be aerobic. I am saying that their aerobic metabolism has to be capable of producing ~80% of the energy needed to run a 4:30 mile -- which is considerable.
I am saying that it is extremely unlikely that anyone in the NFL has that type of aerobic metabolism, because I think that type of metabolism can only be developed through specific aerobic training. Even if someone is naturally gifted with a strong aerobic metabolism, they will still need to develop it further in order to run a 4:30 mile.
So every individual who runs a given distance uses the same percentages of aerobic vs anaerobic metabolism regardless of genetics? Loads of other factors don't come into play when running a mile? You think a 4:30 is so fast so thats why nobody on earth is capable of running it without training?
So to answer the original question.....No
Now that I think about it, as a high school junior I played football all sumer and fall, and played basketball in the winter, and ran a sub 4:30 mile a month later. This discussion is more ridiculous the more we talk about it.
Phil Fondacaro wrote:
Elite decathletes are far worse athletes than NFL players (the reason that they are working at Home Depot to finance their hobby rather than making millions isn't their love of decathlon). If unathletic decathletes that barely train for the mile break 4:30, of course some NFL players can break 4:30.
I think the athletic vs. un-athetlic thing is being overplayed. I have a friend who's a decent athlete that can't break 5:20 in the mile despite training year round. I have another friend who is, in my mind, the worst athlete of all time, and he can run 4:50.
I don't think being an "athlete" has as much to do with it as having the endurance. Athletes have coordination, instincts, explosiveness, etc. These are not necessary to run a 4:30 mile, and don't really help you to run one either.
I actually think its a pretty good question. It seems pretty likely that there are players that could train for a couple months and probably do it. Whether any of them could do it mid-season is more of a question of how specific their training is. I would imagine that there are some guys that train in a way that would be conducive enough to do it during portions of the year-- Jerry Rice being an example of one who did, but I would guess there are others. On the flip side, I can't imagine what you would have to offer to get one of them to try this.
Nolan Cromwell was an All-pro safety for the LA Rams in the late 70s and 80s. Per Wikipedia:
"Cromwell also earned All-America honors in the 600-yard run and the 440-hurdles while setting KU records in the 600-meter and 400-meter yard runs, the intermediate hurdles (a record he still holds at 49:47) and the decathlon
He was part of the Big-8 champion mile relay team in 1975 and 1976 and was the Big-8 440-yd/400-meter hurdle champ in both 1975 and 1976. With Cromwell's contributions the 1975 Jayhawk track team finished ranked second in the NCAA in outdoor track and fifth in indoor track while capturing both titles for the Big-8 Conference. In 1976 they repeated as Big-8 indoor champs and were second in outdoor while finishing tied for 9th in the NCAA in indoor competition and tied for 20th in outdoor competition."
I don't know his best mile time, but if he was on the Big-8 champion KU mile relay team, it was below 4:30.
Absolutely no way, unless they lose the helmet, pads, and trade the cleats for a pair of spikes. If so them 1 or 2 might be able to. That said, I shudder at the notion of seeing an NFL player in split shorts
pv runner wrote:
Nolan Cromwell was an All-pro safety for the LA Rams in the late 70s and 80s. Per Wikipedia:
"Cromwell also earned All-America honors in the 600-yard run and the 440-hurdles while setting KU records in the 600-meter and 400-meter yard runs, the intermediate hurdles (a record he still holds at 49:47) and the decathlon
He was part of the Big-8 champion mile relay team in 1975 and 1976 and was the Big-8 440-yd/400-meter hurdle champ in both 1975 and 1976. With Cromwell's contributions the 1975 Jayhawk track team finished ranked second in the NCAA in outdoor track and fifth in indoor track while capturing both titles for the Big-8 Conference. In 1976 they repeated as Big-8 indoor champs and were second in outdoor while finishing tied for 9th in the NCAA in indoor competition and tied for 20th in outdoor competition."
I don't know his best mile time, but if he was on the Big-8 champion KU mile relay team, it was below 4:30.
Mile relay is 4x44o yards(total 1 mile), not 4x mile...this is the old school way of naming the relays... Ah, the good old days...
You people are all idiots. A handful at least of NFL players could go sub 4:30.
dial it up wrote:
Now that I think about it, as a high school junior I played football all sumer and fall, and played basketball in the winter, and ran a sub 4:30 mile a month later. This discussion is more ridiculous the more we talk about it.
As a high school junior were you playing in the NFL?
The Dingo wrote:
Phil Fondacaro wrote:Elite decathletes are far worse athletes than NFL players (the reason that they are working at Home Depot to finance their hobby rather than making millions isn't their love of decathlon). If unathletic decathletes that barely train for the mile break 4:30, of course some NFL players can break 4:30.
I think the athletic vs. un-athetlic thing is being overplayed. I have a friend who's a decent athlete that can't break 5:20 in the mile despite training year round. I have another friend who is, in my mind, the worst athlete of all time, and he can run 4:50.
I don't think being an "athlete" has as much to do with it as having the endurance. Athletes have coordination, instincts, explosiveness, etc. These are not necessary to run a 4:30 mile, and don't really help you to run one either.
The answer is simple, neither of your friends are athletic
iouerterfd wrote:
dial it up wrote:Now that I think about it, as a high school junior I played football all sumer and fall, and played basketball in the winter, and ran a sub 4:30 mile a month later. This discussion is more ridiculous the more we talk about it.
As a high school junior were you playing in the NFL?
Why would you take the time to post something that stupid?
Doubtful. A sub-5 here and there, perhaps, but not 4:30.
Too much bulk, and not enough aerobic conditioning. There are certainly NFL players with the potential for 4:30 or better, but not in their current shape. These guys are trained for short bursts of speed and collisions.
I think CBs and punt/kick return specialists are your best bet. Typically the smallest, fastest guys in the NFL.
dial it up wrote:
Now that I think about it, as a high school junior I played football all sumer and fall, and played basketball in the winter, and ran a sub 4:30 mile a month later. This discussion is more ridiculous the more we talk about it.
Thats really impressive, good job dial it up!
What position did you play in the NFL?
Jerry a Rice ran sub 5. But he was one of a kind.
Dial it up wrote:
iouerterfd wrote:As a high school junior were you playing in the NFL?
Why would you take the time to post something that stupid?
So stupid? Seriously? You are comparing playing in the NFL and playing in high school. Your body would need to be completely different to play in the NFL. Much more muscle mass, much more weight, and your ENTIRE job would be to excel at football and only football... not also play basketball, or running, or homework, or getting in home in time for mommy to make you dinner.
THAT is why the other posters believe your high school comparison is dumb.
ekw wrote:
Dial it up wrote:Why would you take the time to post something that stupid?
So stupid? Seriously? You are comparing playing in the NFL and playing in high school. Your body would need to be completely different to play in the NFL. Much more muscle mass, much more weight, and your ENTIRE job would be to excel at football and only football... not also play basketball, or running, or homework, or getting in home in time for mommy to make you dinner.
THAT is why the other posters believe your high school comparison is dumb.
You are dumber than I thought. Reading comprehension might be worse than your athleticism. I never once compared high school to the nfl. I pointed out the fact that a 16 yr old kid who focused only on football training and basketball and wasn't an all American in anything could run under 4:30 in the mile(again was never a miler and didn't train for it) then how ignorant do you have to be to think that none of the best athletes in the world could do it?
My only possible explanation is that you spend all of your free time trying so hard at running yet are terrible so you can't comprehend that 4:30 is slow and tons of top athletes in a multitude of sports can do it.