i do, i was friends with a few wrestlers while i played football. wrestling is two things. inhuman endurance, and textbook technique. two traits that make a sick offensive lineman. if he wrestled at 265 he could prolly reach around 290 as a playing weight.
I am the only one who finds this scary? I thought like 99% of fans knew what positions those terms relate to?
They're wrestlers not football players. Most football fans are not like us, obsessed by the game and our team, they're more casual than that. It's like comparing baseball fans to rotisserie players.
If you ask the majority of football fans what those mean, I think you'd meet more who don't know what the 3 mean than vice versa. Most fans aren't diehards.
I think these wrestlers would be pretty good if they can learn the game and the plays. They would definatlty be able to destroy offensive linemen.
That?s another thing worth noting; wrestlers typically are pulling weight to be were they are. In college I was around 190 naturally and used to wrestle at 167; making weight was always a total bitch, exhausting both mentally and physically. Generally, you are conditioning yourself to perform your at peak when you are at your weakest (physically and mentally). Let these guys eat whatever they want and they are going to be beasts. BTW ? did you guys see this on the front page of Yahoo today? http://www.yahoo.com/s/581080 World-class wrestlers grapple with football in Jets camp By DENNIS WASZAK Jr., AP Sports Writer May 13, 2007 HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Cole Konrad looked down at the football gear spread out in front of his locker, shook his head and smiled. "There's tons of stuff here," Konrad said with a laugh Sunday in the New York Jets' locker room. ADVERTISEMENT Konrad, a two-time NCAA wrestling champion at Minnesota, is used to wearing very little while competing in his natural sport. As one of 51 players participating in the Jets' rookie minicamp, Konrad is in new surroundings, with a multipiece football uniform and helmet replacing his usual wrestling singlet and head gear. "Football's foreign to me, just like a lot of these guys would feel if they tried wrestling," said Konrad, wearing a gray Minnesota Wrestling T-shirt. "I'm just learning every day as I'm coming in here. Everything's new to me." He's not alone. Tommy Rowlands, also a two-time NCAA wrestling champ from Ohio State, is in camp with the Jets on a tryout. The two wrestlers are roommates during the three-day camp -- and opponents on the mat. Konrad is No. 1 in the heavyweight division of the college rankings, but is second to Rowlands in the U.S. senior freestyle rankings. Rowlands beat Konrad in the finals of the U.S. National Championships last month in Las Vegas. The two will meet again next month at the U.S. World Team Trials on June 10 in Las Vegas, with each man's sights set on winning an Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games. "We don't talk wrestling too much, but we get along real well," Konrad said. "We've been talking about football mainly." Konrad, 23, is trying out for the offensive line, while Rowlands, who'll turn 26 next month, is giving it a shot at linebacker. Neither has played competitive football in years: Konrad since his freshman year of high school, and Rowlands since eighth grade. "What you look for in terms of progress is a little bit different (from other players)," Jets coach Eric Mangini said. "What I like about these guys is that they're in a foreign environment, yet they're not fazed by it. They're going to go out and compete like crazy because that's how they're wired, and that's a great characteristic." Mangini, who wrestled in high school, is intrigued by their athleticism, which prompted the invitations. Both Rowlands and Konrad were surprised when they received calls from Brendan Prophett, the Jets' assistant director for pro scouting. "I thought it was a prank call," Rowlands said, laughing. "When I returned his call, it was a voice mail and it said he was from the New York Jets, so I figured if someone was pranking me, they're going to great lengths to make the joke work. At that time, I knew it was real." And one of them making the team isn't necessarily impossible. Mangini was with New England when Steve Neal, a two-time NCAA champion wrestler, tried out and became a serviceable offensive lineman for the Patriots. "I don't want to give anybody the edge because I know they're both going to worlds," Mangini said with a smile. "I think they're pretty comparable." And they are on the wrestling mat, too. Rowlands, from Hilliard, Ohio, is Ohio State's career leader in wins, team points and takedowns. His career record with the Buckeyes was 161-14, including the 2002 and 2004 NCAA heavyweight titles. "I'm planning on winning the Beijing Olympics and then retiring from the sport of wrestling," said Rowlands, currently an assistant wrestling coach for the Buckeyes. "At that point, you never know, but if I achieve that goal, I know I'll be able to walk away from the sport knowing I've reached the pinnacle. If I'm able to do that, I'll be real happy." Konrad, from Freedom, Wis., won NCAA heavyweight titles in each of the last two years, and went 154-13 -- including 76 straight victories to end his career at Minnesota. Known as "King Cole" during his college days, Konrad's cauliflowered left ear is an easily recognizable memento of his wrestling battles. While the footwork techniques used in wrestling have helped them on the field, Rowlands and Konrad both have had their hands full grappling with football. "I didn't think it was going to be as difficult as it is to pick up the plays. I thought I'd catch on pretty quick," Konrad said, snapping his fingers. "There's actually a lot of little steps to everything. I'm constantly learning. Even when I think I'm doing it right, there's still the little things I need to fine-tune." Rowlands acknowledges that the experience has been everything he thought it would be. "I expected to be overwhelmed with the information that's been given to me and be on par from an athletic standpoint with the guys here," Rowlands said. "I feel like the problem is the no football experience, and this is the highest level of the game. I'm just trying to work through that." By the time minicamp ends Monday, both Rowlands and Konrad hope they have shown enough to warrant invitations back to camp next month -- regardless of their Olympic wrestling hopes. "I'm trying to take advantage of this opportunity and do the best I can," Rowlands said. "If they want me to be a part of the team, then I'll cross that bridge when I get to it."
I would have thought they would both be trying out as OLBs or DEs. Pure bull rushers for passing downs. I would love to see any offensive lineman in the NFL try to stop either of them. They are use to getting behind people where it is legal to grab you and basicaly "tackle" you to try and stop you. If you are only able to block them it would be impossible to keep them out of the backfield without at least 2 on 1.
if it was straight up block the guy in front of you, wrestlers would easily be great Olinemen. but it is more than that. you have to be able to read the defense, maintain your assigment, switch on blitzes.
There is good news and bad news, based on our experience with Stephen Neal. THE GOOD NEWS: It certainly can be done. Neal has become a boarderline all pro, and a very solid contributor to an ever improving Patriot OL. This experiment is definitely worth the minimum risk you are taking to develop one or more of those players. The concept they are using is fine and appropriate. Great athletes from other sports can become good football players. Beyond Neal, the TE from SD is another great example. THE BAD NEWS: It takes time, and isn't as easy as it seems. It took a full 3 years of patience for Neal to make it into the starting line up. It also took a great commitment by the staff to spend the necessary extra time to develop him. So while you MAY find a gem amidst the rubble, the effect of that find, wont show up for a few years. BOTTOM LINE: Interesting story and just another part of the blueprint that Mangini took from NE.
In a related story... In a related story, Eric Mangini has now decided that it is more important to have a good attitude and physical prowess than actually have had anything to do with football. And it really is time we did away with the insensitive terminology of "Mangini Guy" and started using the PC "Mangini Person". As part of his relentless pursuit of weirdos and hasbeens, we have decided to try out this world class athlete. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the future at SS for the New York Jets... Hailey Hatred Hailey Hatred's Profile... * Height: 5' 10" * Weight: 160 * Hair: Blonde * Eyes: Blue * Hometown: Columbus, Ohio (USA) * Age: 23 * Years In Wrestling: 4 ? Link: http://newyorktimes/newyorkjets/haileyhatred
making weight was always a total bitch, exhausting both mentally and physically. Generally, you are conditioning yourself to perform your at peak when you are at your weakest (physically and mentally). Let these guys eat whatever they want and they are going to be beasts. Perfectly said. I did a similar thing in H.S. Wrestled at 145lbs and started LG at 175lbs. I started ahead of people that were stronger and weighed 20 or more pounds then me. Bottom line was that I better at using my hands leverage to make the blocked. This helped when pass blocking, reach blocking, blocking at the second level and pulling. It really hurt when we tried to run inside and I was required to move a monster DT. Plays like that I had to call a stunt (help from the Center or LT) to make sure we got positive yardage. How will translate for these guys at the pro level?no clue. I can think of a few teams have tried and failed with Olympic Sprinters at WR. The odds are against this working but it would be great if it did.
I am more than optimistic about this - especially the project on OL. See, sprinters don't have to have the soft hands to be the world-class sprinter. They just have to run faster - and that's all they do. Receiver without hand is worth nothing, whereas sprinter without hand (hypothetical) can very well be a good one despite the shortcomings. On the other hand, can you imagine a wrestler without hand? I, for one, think this experiment is very promising.
