N/S...Is an olympic sprinter in the NFL Joke or Legit (1 Viewer)

[bradley.broussard]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3290272

I cant believe this is coming up again. Can an olympic sprinter actually ever make it as a NFL player that can produce. What ever happened the first time the Texans were looking at one of these sprinters. Personally I dont think it could ever work. I ran track and had some sprinting skills, so i know from personal experience that when a true sprinter is at full speed to run the supposed 4.0-4.2 forty times it takes at least another 20 yards or so to even slow down. Being a wide receiver would never work. And if it did they could only go deep, which would be so predictable it wouldnt work either. Maybe and this is just a maybe, they could be some sort of special team returner or something like that, but nothing more. It is just physically impossible to slow down and stop quick enough to be effective in the NFL. Is there anyone out there that thinks one cold actually exist in the league.

 

[Bartimaeus]

A name for you: Rod Woodson.

 

[Andrus]

Another name: Bullet Bob Hayes.

 

[bradley.broussard]

A name for you: Rod Woodson.

I agree that he was a freak of nature, but do you actually think he could keep up with the sprinters on the track. Thats the kind of sprinter i am talking about. Carl Lewis, Justin Gatlin, Asafa Powell. These are the kind of guys i speak of.

The only info i can find on woodson is that he was that he ran the hurdles, in a time of 13.63. If anyone could find just a straight 100 meter run time it might help decide this argument.

 

[sykobob671]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3290272

I cant believe this is coming up again. Can an olympic sprinter actually ever make it as a NFL player that can produce. What ever happened the first time the Texans were looking at one of these sprinters. Personally I dont think it could ever work. I ran track and had some sprinting skills, so i know from personal experience that when a true sprinter is at full speed to run the supposed 4.0-4.2 forty times it takes at least another 20 yards or so to even slow down. Being a wide receiver would never work. And if it did they could only go deep, which would be so predictable it wouldnt work either. Maybe and this is just a maybe, they could be some sort of special team returner or something like that, but nothing more. It is just physically impossible to slow down and stop quick enough to be effective in the NFL. Is there anyone out there that thinks one cold actually exist in the league.

The only one i know of was Bob Hayes who played for the Cowboys in the mid-60's. A few others have tried but found little success. Hayes ran mostly fly and post routes and did very little stopping till he got to the end zone...he was amazing to watch. enough time has passed that it may happen again but i have my doubts for the reasons you stated. The NFL is
different now and the players much faster.

 

[Ti Rider]

Renaldo Nehemiah

 

[Bartimaeus]

Rod Woodson was going to be an olympic hurdler in the 60m hurdles (even so he was still an US alternate for it), but decided a career in football would be more lucrative. Good Choice!

 

[bradley.broussard]

Another name: Bullet Bob Hayes.

I just did a little research and i found this guy. I can honestly say i havent heard of this guy. Maybe im just to young i guess. But you are right, he ran a 10.0 sec 100 which isnt that far off from what is the world record now. I guess they can exist though rare.

Fill me in, was he really good.

 

[bradley.broussard]

Renaldo Nehemiah

This is what i found on Wikipedia. And from what i read, it seems that yes he did exist in the league but was and utter failure.

In 1982 Nehemiah worked out for several NFL teams, including the Pittsburgh Steelers and the San Francisco 49ers and ended up signing with the 49ers in a blaze of publicity and high expectations. During his three years as a wide receiver he caught 43 passes for 754 yards, a 17.5 average, and 4 touchdowns. Although he was part of the Super Bowl winning team in the 1984 season, he did not play a major role. His football career was a failure - indeed, it represents one of the most glaring mistakes ever made by 49er head coach Bill Walsh - winning Nehemiah a comparison to the track star Jimmie (Oops) Hines, who won his infamous nickname for his inability to catch the ball. Nehemiah returned to track in 1986. He managed to achieve world rankings four more times before retiring from Athletics after the 1991 season

 

[bclemms]

James Jett had a pretty good career and actually outran Carl Lewis in the 100m in a couple different events. Not exactly Jerry Rice but 9 years in the NFL isn't too shabby.

 

[rlemieux]

I just did a little research and i found this guy. I can honestly say i havent heard of this guy. Maybe im just to young i guess. But you are right, he ran a 10.0 sec 100 which isnt that far off from what is the world record now. I guess they can exist though rare.

Fill me in, was he really good.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Hayes

http://football.about.com/cs/legends/p/bobhayes.htm

http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=HAYESBOB01

 

[Andrus]

I just did a little research and i found this guy. I can honestly say i havent heard of this guy. Maybe im just to young i guess. But you are right, he ran a 10.0 sec 100 which isnt that far off from what is the world record now. I guess they can exist though rare.

Fill me in, was he really good.

Before the Saints existed, Bob Hayes was my idol and yes, I was a Cowgirl fan. He was great as a WR and a kick returner during a period when teams predominately ran the ball.

 

[bradley.broussard]

thanx rlemieux. But by the looks of his 20.0 avg over 11 seasons this guy was a Devery Henderson that could catch. Not that Devery is as fast as he is but just using him as an example.

 

[DaveXA]

I believe Willie Gault was a world class sprinter as well. He had a few good years in Chi-town.

 

[bradley.broussard]

Before the Saints existed, Bob Hayes was my idol and yes, I was a Cowgirl fan. He was great as a WR and a kick returner during a period when teams predominately ran the ball.

Something i noticed that you maybe could explain is why did his rec yards go down in almost every year one after another from start to end. Was it that DBs' learned how to guard what was basically a 1 dimensional target?