Sam Thaiday linebacker offer

[hellteam]

For sure perfect body shape to play NFL as a wide receiver. Got good hands to go with that.

 

[Godz Illa]

Thaiday probably saw Any Given Sunday and wants a piece of that toilet action.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

.While your size as a league player may be impressive, you would be considered small as an NFL player espescially a linebacker. Your size of 181cm and 108kg coverts out to 5 foot 10 inches and 238 pounds.

No, 181cm is about 5'11 1/4.

Given the tendency in American sports to over list players or give them "shoe heights" he would get a 6' listing no worries.

 

[aqua_duck]

nup none of the three guys would make it as a punt/kick returner, they give it to guys who have elite speed and agility. The only position that Thaiday would have a chance with is fullback

Folau and Hunt would be way too slow for KR/PR, those blokes are usually Matt Bowen type speed and agility, Hunt and Folau would have the pace of an outside linebacker, plus when's the last time hunt actually beat a man with speed of footwork?

 

[christopher]

There would be several rugby league players who have the athleticism to play NFL in various positions.

This country barely plays basketball, yet several players have played NBA.

Patty Mills is one of the leading college players and will be an NBA star and he is the build of an Amos Roberts or taller Matty Bowen.

Thousands more Australians play league than basketball, I think it is narrow minded to think there would not be NRL players capable of breaking into their sport.

I think it is simply a question of being able to learn the game. I think the athleticism parrameters would be met by more than a handfull of league players.

Whether Sam Thaiday is one of them.... hmmmm don't know, but obviously Ozpunt think so and i reckon they would have more of an idea than us.

 

[Bumble]

There would be several rugby league players who have the athleticism to play NFL in various positions.

This country barely plays basketball, yet several players have played NBA.

Patty Mills is one of the leading college players and will be an NBA star and he is the build of an Amos Roberts or taller Matty Bowen.

Thousands more Australians play league than basketball, I think it is narrow minded to think there would not be NRL players capable of breaking into their sport.

I think it is simply a question of being able to learn the game. I think the athleticism parrameters would be met by more than a handfull of league players.

Whether Sam Thaiday is one of them.... hmmmm don't know, but obviously Ozpunt think so and i reckon they would have more of an idea than us.

Silly comparison. Basketball is a widely played sport here. American Football isn't.

And Basketball is a game which is far more based on pure athleticism than technical knowledge, of which Thaiday has none.

 

[Butters]

Don't some college basketball players get picked up by NFL teams and turned into wide receivers? I'm pretty sure i've heard of some cases of that.

 

[stormtragic]

well earn more money and have a bigger profile than being a punter like graham

 

[stormtragic]

Don't some college basketball players get picked up by NFL teams and turned into wide receivers? I'm pretty sure i've heard of some cases of that.

yeh thats true

kobe bryant it seems was offered a deal before he chose basketball

 

[Eelementary]

LBs have practically no body fat. IMO they and RBs have the best "physique"s.

I wasn't referring to weight, I've seen fotage of Thaiday shirtless and whilst he is clearly strong, he is not at the level of a brian urlacher or ray lewis. he has a lot of body fat in comparison.

OK, but name me two other NFL MLB's that are actually at that level.

Is ee what you're saying, but you can't use Urlacher and Lewis in your comparison - they are deadset freaks of nature.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

Don't some college basketball players get picked up by NFL teams and turned into wide receivers? I'm pretty sure i've heard of some cases of that.

Demetrius Bell son of Karl Malone was drafted by the Bills last year as an offensive tackle. He's a project and very raw but there are hopes he'll develop into something.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

He played basketball all through college and only took up football 2 years ago i read.

 

[Noa]

Don't some college basketball players get picked up by NFL teams and turned into wide receivers? I'm pretty sure i've heard of some cases of that.

Antonio Gates, Ronald Curry and to a lesser extent Julius Peppers, TO, Tony Gonzalez are some that played and prefered basketball to football in college.

Charlie Ward won the Heisman as best college football player for Florida State (also formed the back court with BobbySura) in the early 90's and only ever played in the NBA. But that was probably more due to the biases around about QB's still at that time.

Edited to add frame wise Sam is a good size. But could he put on another 10-15lbs of muscle and keep his agility and speed, that would be the big question. Technically as well LB isnt the hardest position, Id say QB, RB, WR, CB, SS, FS are harder, and LB is even easier in a 3-4 defence.

Not saying he could make it, but if he wanted to he would have to leave right..........NOW.



Too late.

 

[Big Tim]

Mills is a bad example... HE IS IN COLLEGE!

He will succeed in the NBA. The only players from Australia who can excel in a skills position must go through the college system.

 

[christopher]

Mills is a bad example... HE IS IN COLLEGE!

He will succeed in the NBA. The only players from Australia who can excel in a skills position must go through the college system.

My point was, here people talk about american athletes in these revered tones as if no Australian could ever be as strong an athelete.

Yet, there is plenty of evidence of Australians mixing it in american sports at a professional level.

Mills is arguably one of the top point guards in American College, most would say top three.

During the Olympics, he proved he was quicker than the American guards.

He will be a good NBA player, whether he is an all star or anything, I dont know but he will be a starting 5 player, based on his olympic performances.



So yes it would be tough for an NRL player to learn the intracies of NFL, but i don't athleticism would be a problem for our top NRL athletes.

It would be interesting to see how Mills went on a league field i think he would carve up from fullback.

 

[Big Tim]

Or he is soft and doesnt like the contact.

I play basketball, so I know there is a bunch of contact in that game, but it is not a ferocious or as consistent as it is in a "contact" sport.

 

[nqcowboy87]

patty mills comes from from around greg inglis country or from dubbo oir something so im sure he must of dabbled as a kid

 

[abpanther]

Technically as well LB isnt the hardest position, Id say QB, RB, WR, CB, SS, FS are harder, and LB is even easier in a 3-4 defence.

Gee I don't know about that, I think LB would be the toughest position to learn on the defense, they usually call the plays, they need to be able to identify run and pass on the snap, they need to identify coverage and gap assignments, etc. Safeties play pass first and the CB generally just needs to worry about his man or his zone.

 

[Big Tim]

My thoughts exactly Panther.

Not to mention you need to be strong enough to shake a OL block, fast enough to catch a TE/WR and then have the ability to recognise a runner hiding behind a giant O line.

Simple hey?

 

[monaroCountry]

My point was, here people talk about american athletes in these revered tones as if no Australian could ever be as strong an athelete.

Yet, there is plenty of evidence of Australians mixing it in american sports at a professional level.

So yes it would be tough for an NRL player to learn the intracies of NFL, but i don't athleticism would be a problem for our top NRL athletes.

It would be interesting to see how Mills went on a league field i think he would carve up from fullback.

Not to demean AFL and AFL players in anyway but if Sav Rocca can tackle the number one punt returner in the NFL this easily (when everyone else embarrasingly missed) then I don't see why a rugby league player cant do the same thing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYyOvoolACo

As for the huge hits (cheap shot in this instance), again Sav Rocca took this hit without any worries. Aparently the hit didnt phase Rocca at all, hitting the ground with his butt hurt more than the actual tackle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_vYB3walr4