Olympic 100m Sprinter Tries Out with Panthers

NO FUN LEAGUER wrote:

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Discus

He throws discus too?

haha, anyway Receiver is a pretty skill-oriented position and taking 4 years off hurts considerably. Plus lateral movement and change of direction are arguably more important than raw speed. Probably wasn't training for those as a sprinter/discus thrower.

I don't think he'll make it.

Why would he want to anyway? Yes, the $, but he doesn't have the experience knowing how to avoid big hits, which could lead to injuries. He went to the freakin Olympics too! Why jeopardize his gifts?

Good laughs

Track_is_Whack wrote:

NO FUN LEAGUER wrote:

...

Discus

He throw discus too?

I don't think he'll make it.

Why would he want to anyway? Yes, the $, but he doesn't have the experience knowing how to avoid big hits, which could lead to injuries. He went to the freakin Olympics too! Why jeopardize his gifts?

Good laughs

Discus is an ongoing joke here.

As to why he would want to be in the NFL, I would dismiss the money. If he makes the team, that could be easily 10 years of track money at the level he is at in track.

Besides money, he could just really want to play football for the excitement and the prestige.

Or he could want the ridiculous lifestyle that can come from being on a team full of mid 20s millionaires who range from C to A list celebrities.

You are right that being out of the game is going to hurt his chances to make a receiver spot, but he really is unlikely to be injured in tryouts, he might as well give it a shot if it is a legitimate interest of his.

let's just say, I'd rather be a top track athlete than a top nfl athlete. The track has more of a history and prestige.

thefastestone wrote:

let's just say, I'd rather be a top track athlete than a top nfl athlete. The track has more of a history and prestige.

I would too. I was just giving some of the possible reasons he might disagree with us.

He might also think he is already an olympian, and there is no reason he couldn't do the NFL for a bit, then roll back onto the track next Olympic cycle.

Track_is_Whack wrote:

He throws discus too?

You're new here, aren't you?

Track_is_Whack wrote:

NO FUN LEAGUER wrote:

...

Discus

lateral movement and change of direction are arguably more important than raw speed.

he doesn't have the experience knowing how to avoid big hits, which could lead to injuries.

Looks good to me

Watch him do this just to break the NFL record in the 40

thefastestone wrote:

let's just say, I'd rather be a top track athlete than a top nfl athlete. The track has more of a history and prestige.

Track and football are my two favorite sports so I can see both sides to this argument.

Yes, it may be more prestigious to say you're an Olympic athlete but football gets more notoriety and the potential payoff is greater. Unfortunately money isn't guaranteed, unless it's a signing or veteran's roster bonus and the average NFL career is over in three years. This doesn't even include the 1500 or so players who cycle through the rosters during the off season who never accrue a season's worth of service.

The payoff for an NFL undrafted free agent is relatively modest and rife with pitfalls. Players only get paid their contract when on the active roster during the actual games. So if a player gets released two games into the contract, they only receive 2/17ths of their salary. When a player gets injured and is released there is an injury settlement involved. So IF Bracy makes the active roster (top 53) and stays injury free the whole season he would make $450,000 plus a few extra thousand for OTAs and training camp. IF he makes the practice squad (next 10) the salary is dramatically reduced, $117,000. So in one year he could potentially make a few thousand to 450K.

My guess is IF he makes the roster, he won't be a high priority player. Players on the bottom 10 of the active roster and the practice squad live in constant fear of getting cut because hardly any resources (money and draft pick) have been invested in them. GMs are constantly looking to improve or shore up a weakness and won't hesitate to cut a low level veteran or rookie for another player that gets released or an injured or suspended player who returns. Every year the NFL is littered with stories of players who found out they made the 53 man roster in the morning and find out by the afternoon they've been cut because the GM picked up another player from a different team.

Let's hope he doesn't get a serious injury in practice or during a game.

Players blow out a knee or Achilles even in practice more often than you think. There is track shape and football shape. Both are two distinct and equally difficult fitness levels. The cutting, changing of direction, max effort, and hitting during practice and in games can't be mimicked. Remember, Devon Allen blew his ACL out twice while playing football for Oregon.

But, hey kudos for him for giving it a try. He's already an Olympian and probably wants to accomplish other goals in life. Hopefully he can make a team and parlay it into an NFL career.

i hope usain bolt join NFL too

Bob Hayes & Renaldo Nehemiah both ran track extremely successfully before playing football. Can't blame someone for trying out for a job that pays better.

If he can return kicks well he probably can get a roster spot just based on that.

Kick Returner wrote:

If he can return kicks well he probably can get a roster spot just based on that.

That's what I was thinking as well. I can't imagine him being good enough to play any other position. Then again, Carolina has ted Ginn Jr, so they aren't hurting for a kick returner.

Kick Returner wrote:

If he can return kicks well he probably can get a roster spot just based on that.

Came here to say the same thing... you guys don't know much about football do you?

thefastestone wrote:

let's just say, I'd rather be a top track athlete than a top nfl athlete. The track has more of a history and prestige.

Said no one ever.

Prestige? Outside of bolt, 90% of people probably couldn't name a single track athlete.

Does he have the hands to be a receiver? Defensive backfields are filled with fast guys who can't catch.

Curtis Samuel was an indoor track star and emerging elite indoor medalist

He wasn't signed to their 90 man roster off of the rookie minicamp tryout.

It's hard to make the NFL, even for an Olympic sprinter and a former four star recruit. From what I've read he has good hands but the route running and understanding of an NFL offense probably isn't there. Besides, 5'9 170 lbers don't last too long in the league.

http://www.carolinahuddle.com/boards/topic/138207-fastest-panther-currently-and-sleepermarvin-bracy/?page=5

NO FUN LEAGUER wrote:

http://espn.com/blog/carolina-panthers/post/_/id/25526/panthers-tryout-player-marvin-bracy-might-be-fastest-guy-in-the-nfl

Marvin Bracey, who ran 9.98 in the 100 at the Olympic trials, making the Rio Olympic team for the US, got a tryout with the Carolina Panthers.

Chances he makes the team? I'd say 17%. An outide shot, but he's going up against guys who have been training for football for the last four years...and he hasn't.

Discus

Money

Macdaddy wrote:

thefastestone wrote:

let's just say, I'd rather be a top track athlete than a top nfl athlete. The track has more of a history and prestige.

Said no one ever.

Prestige? Outside of Bolt, 90% of people probably couldn't name a single track athlete.

This is hilarious. If you polled 90% of people that actually participate regularly in the sport of running they wouldn't be able to name a single track athlete outside of Bolt. Most runners don't follow the sport very much at all. It's a very niche sport. I'd say 99.9% of people couldn't name anyone other than Bolt and honestly if his name wasn't so easy to remember they wouldn't even know who he is either. Most people that run regularly were not competitive whatsoever in high school or college and did not run track at all so why in the hell would they know anyone? If you asked every person that ran in at least 5 races in the US last year who Haile Gebrselassie is damn near 100% of them would have no clue. Prestige in running what a joke. I'm not an NFL fan and I've watched maybe 5 games total in the nearly 30 years I've been alive but even I know that Colin Kaepernick is an NFL quarterback and he's not good. Even an underachiever in the NFL is a household name. You don't even have to be a top player all time for people to know who you are. Name anyone, Kipchoge, Kipsang, Haile, Kenny Bekele, they could walk around town and not a single person would know that they're anybody.