who has played American football?

[CanadianSteve]

Not sure if this belongs in the NFL section but I thought it might get lost in the Fun Bar.

Who has played American football here? Or gridiron, or what ever you want to call it? I recall from the LWOS site there were a couple of guys who were playing the sport in Aus, and I think I've seen a few posters here talk about playing in university, or starting up a team.

I played in high school and university, Canadian football, as a defensive back in university. Not as good as NCAA football, maybe the same level as Division 3 in the US, or between D2 and D3. I wasn't fast enough to go farther, but played with and against guys who went on to the CFL.

 

[Moffo]

We played it a bit at school...its good fun when played at a fast pace and all the nit picking rules are taken out

Cheers,
Moffo

 

[Cupid Stunt]

Moff...
If it's not to personal what school? I know flag football is being played in some schools & the guys running that, but I havent heard of any schools playing contact. Generally the cost of fitting out a team is way to much for most schools.

Steve...
I still play. NCAA rules are a bit soft but what can you do... :?

We still get 2 - 4 imports a year coming down to play for us, all through word of mouth. Seem's you Cannucks take to our style of play better then the seppo's because it's more physical. Though last year we had a D3 player out of Minn. who was all class.

 

[weasel]

In early high school we did a unit on it in HPE. All up we spent maybe ten or twelve lessons on it but we never really got much of a go, most of the lessons were spent learning the rules, a lot of people struggled to grasp it and the girls weren't particularly interested. Then in later high school when I developed an interest in the game I used to play backyard american football with my friends, but three players on each side doesn't really make for a good game.

 

[B_Tiger]

in america I played a bit of nfl. I was a tight end. I didn't play for the highest level at high school though, they take it so seriously there (training every day in the morning from 5am till 9am and in afternoons untill 7pm), it's crazy. Actually Nate Clements played varsity football for my high school (shaker heights high- home of the mighty red raiders). he was the running back, sometimes the wide receiver, sometimes the quarterback and obviously DB in defense. he was a bloody champion, could do everything.

 

[CanadianSteve]

Cupid Stunt: What kind of team do you play on? I mean, what level of league is it, how old are the players, etc.

 

[SHAGMOP]

i've wanted to play for a while. i've tried enrolling in comps but both fell through. but i play recriational games with my friends, but with very shortened sides.

 

[Mambo]

True Story.

I've played one game.

I was on a 6 week holiday in the USA and went out with my cousins to watch the oldest play gridiron. As it turned out their team was desperately short of players and they ended up forfeiting the game 'officially'.

However, unofficially, the game was played. The team literally was pulling kids out of the ground just to get a game. Anyway, they grabbed me as well, a clueless Aussie. I was small but as quick as lightning so they put me in at wide receiver to keep me out of the real action. I felt like a spastic because i was using second hand 'kit' gear just to protect myself. Basically I was told twist and swerve while running downfield and try to draw in the defence a bit. Lets face it, its the only position I could play without the head knowledge.

So i did what they wanted. I actually got clear a few times and they passed me the ball twice. The first time I got absolutely creamed by two defenders. But the second time, I put a league sidestep on one of the defenders and actually got into the clear. I went within 3 yards of scoring myself. Next two plays and the team had scored a rushing TD.

We lost the game 63-7.

But guess who got to kick the extra point

 

[SHAGMOP]

i reckon RL skills would be helpful in a gridion match eg for running game and laterals. maybe not so much for WR but it could still help.

 

[John_Travolta]

I`m currently involved with getting a team started up as many of you have read in a past thred can`t remember which it was though. But we have got 5 teams down here in the league 1 here in Launceston and 4 in hobart.

Troy....

p.s i`ll be playing QB, I can play LB and K.

 

[CanadianSteve]

i reckon RL skills would be helpful in a gridion match eg for running game and laterals. maybe not so much for WR but it could still help.

Did anyone see Randy Moss's over the shoulder pass to a teammate for a touchdown a couple of games ago? On the Canadian channel Sportsnet, which is showing the RUWC, the announcer showing the highlights said it reminded him of Doug Howlett and Joe Rococoko. But the American announcers on channels where I sae other highlights of the same play, didn't mention rugby at all.

Moss is quite a good basketball player, and the pass he made was likely a result of his basketball experience, IMO. It looked like something Magic Johnson would have done. Laterals are not very common in NA football, even though they're quite legal as a leftover of the game's rugby origins. Coaches frown on them as the risk of losing possession is too great, except in last minute or desperate situations. Or sometimes as a planned play called a "flea-flicker" where a wide receiver catches a pass coming back to the ball, drawing in the defence, then pitches to a teammate coming on at full speed. It would probably make football more interesting if they would throw it around more, a la rugby.

 

[canberra_raiders2k2]

i play for the west sydney trojans, i play QB & CB..early on i was a KR..

 

[weasel]

When I was in Year 11 I was hanging out with one of my friends at Mooloolaba beach, we were kicking around a football when we were approached by some young Mormon missionaries from Salt Lake City. They wanted to play some Rugby having watched Brisbane v St George Illawarra the night before (Broncos won 22-4 :x ). We explained the rules and played that for a bit then tried to play a bit of american football. It was a painful experience, they were only a few years older than us but they were all absolutely massive and every tackle they made was hard as heck. My friend and I lost interest after about ten minutes, a wise decision with the battering our bodies had already taken. Ouch.

 

[John_Travolta]

lol, GUYS I don`t mean to be an pain in the rectum, but its called Gridiron not American Football persay here.....

Troy

p.s sorry for being the obvious candidate for clown of the day haha

 

[CanadianSteve]

JT - I've seen this discussed on other forums before - Gridiron is the nickname for the field the game is played on, with its grid of yardlines. That's in North America.

In Australia:

Australia consists of six States (New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania) and two Territories (Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory) and American Football is played in each of them.

Football has been played in Australia since 1983 and is commonly referred to as "gridiron" to distinguish it from the other football codes played here. There is no uniform American football season in Australia. The various State and Territory bodies all play at different times of the year. For example, the competition in South Australia runs from September to March, whilst the competition in New South Wales runs from September to December.

That's from the gridiron Australia website. Looks like they acknowledge "American Football" as the real name, but use "gridiron" as a colloquial name for the sport. Which again is a different use of gridiron from its original NA meaning.

 

[Cupid Stunt]

Cupid Stunt: What kind of team do you play on? I mean, what level of league is it, how old are the players, etc.

It's Div 1 but that doesnt mean squat considering there no Div 2 :lol: In our team players range from 18/19 through to about early/mid 40's, most teams are roughly the same. The NSW comp is the biggest & most competitive. There's 7 teams this year with one to return next year & apparently Newcastle are looking to return the year after that.

i play for the west sydney trojans, i play QB & CB..early on i was a KR..

I know who you are...

 

[SHAGMOP]

thought i'd dig this thread out to let you guys know im actually playing gridion.

im playing in the juniors division for the Queanbeyan Warriors. we play in the ACT leauge which has all of 4 teams. if anyone wants to know im the starting QB. even tho im 18 i still am eligible to play and so are 7 of my 18 yeah old friends. so basically we are the biggest team in the comp. if we go good enough we could be picked for the state side.

 

[CanadianSteve]

How's your completion percentage, Shagmop? How far can you throw?

 

[SHAGMOP]

news just in, the coaches have scouted me and told me im not suited for juniors. the've bumped me up seiniors . as for my percentage, ive yet to play a proper match but in the two practice matches my team has won 14-0 and ive thrown 3 touchdowns with no intercepts. also i can throw about 45-50 yards. my power aint the best but ive got great accuracy.

ill let youknow how i go in the season comin up. it starts in august.

 

[chileman]

Never a fairdinkum game but when I was living in Chile all these american missionaries there were playing and asked me if I wanted to join them...I jumped at the opportunity and played as wide receiver....I'd watched the game 100 times on TV but I was still confused when I got out there and didn't know what I was doing but I did score a touchdown...the guy playing quarterback on my side was damn good, could throw it long or short and it was always on the money!