Rugby team out of NFL players.?

Question

Who do you think from the NFL could make a good rugby players?(pretend they can immeately pick up the gamewith no issues) Here's mine

1. Marco Rivera (Cowboys)

2. Maurice Jones-Drew (Jaguars)

3. Richard Seymour (Patriots)

4.Julius Peppers (Panthers)

5. Dwight Freeney (Colts)

6. Brian Urlacher (Bears)

7. Roy Williams (Cowboys)

8. Kellen Winslow Jr. (Browns)

9. Steve Smith (Panthers)

10. Hines Ward (Steelers)

11. Marvin Harrison (Colts)

12. Larry Johnson (Chiefs)

13. LaDanian Tomlinson (Chargers)

14. DeAngelo Hall (Falcons)

15. Devin Hester (Bears)

Answer 1

Not totally sure for 1-9, but:

10. Vick (or else go back in time and get Randall Cunningham...dude could pass, run and punt!)

11. DeAngelo Hall

12. Ron Dayne

13. LaDanian Tomlinson

14. Reggie Bush

15. Devin Hester

I still don't think rugby would exactly work with NFL players, haha. I don't think they'd be okay with working as a team. It's a nice thought, though. The NFL undoubtedly has some of the world's greatest athletes.

Answer 2

You've got to be an idiot to think that top level professional athletes could not make a transition between the two sports because the lack of pads would hamper them.  I played American Football when I was coming up.  I wore the pads, the helmet, and it didn't occur to me to do otherwise...it was just what one did.  Later in life, I turned to rugby (which I prefer), and somehow I didn't have trouble playing for 80 minutes and I wasn't scared or hurt by tackling and being tackled with no pads.  I've played serious club rugby in Italy and New Zealand, and I've never found myself wishing for a helmet.  (In fact, I deplore the fact that rugby players now use helmets and shoulder pads...I refuse to use them and think they should have no place in the game).  So if I, somehow, managed it, I suspect that people who were far more athletic and aggressive than I could also handle it.

Of course there was a h**l of a lot to learn and unlearn, but that was half the fun.  And obviously, some guys wouldn't be able to be elite at both sports, some people are uniquely suited for one sport or another.  A good example to look at is Matthew Ridge and John Gallagher.  Both were excellent rugby union players who switched to rugby league.  Gallagher was a FAR better union player, but it was Ridge who became a league star.  Some guys in the NFL would make the transition easily, others wouldn't.  And there's probably some guy who wasn't quite good enough to make it with an NFL team who would've been a great rugby player had he been born in England or New Zealand.  Likewise, I'm sure that there are people in England or New Zealand who are pretty decent rugby players but couldn't quite make the top grade who would have been NFL stars had they grown up in the US.

Someone else suggested Michael Vick as the flyhalf.  That sort of ties into my point above, that certain people might be better at rugby than they were at football.  His skills weren't enough to make him a great qb, but I suspect he could have been one of the best rugby players ever.  On the other hand, Peyton Manning or Joe Montana wouldn't have been anything in rugby.  People like Eric Crouch or Charlie Ward are good examples of being not good enough in football but probably more suited for rugby.

Finally, to look at some of your choices...I have a few disagreements.  Richard Seymour is 6'6" (1.98 m).  Sorry, he would be absolutely torn apart as a prop.  No chance ever.  In fact, I wouldn't use linemen in the front row.  Why bother when there are so many better options?  You had the right idea with Jones-Drew at hooker; at prop, running backs of the Jerome Bettis/Larry Johnson type would have a more appropriate build, be much faster, and would find it easier to transition to the amount of running needed in rugby than most linemen.

I might also go with a receiver, for speed and height, at one of the flanker positions...someone like TO would be everywhere, would dominate with the ball in hand, and be useful in the lineout (let us ignore, for the moment, his craziness and vanity).  In the centers, I would want at least one defensive back, someone who would be quite fast, a sure tackler, and a hard hitter.  Maybe at fullback as well.  And there wouldn't be much use for the big bruising 3-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust type either.  They're great when running behind a line into a crowd.  Not as useful when trying to exploit open space and make moves and such.  So I'd put TO at #7, move Williams to #12, and move Johnson to #1.  I'd also switch Freeney and Seymour; why would you have a 6'1" lock and a 6'6" prop?  Then again, I don't know if you would want linemen even at lock...tall tight ends would probably work out better.

Answer 3

yes, back in the day I was an avid fan of ... uh ... what again... huh, what's that Mildred?... Nah... just answering some dumb question here on Yahoo answers.. OK I'll get off this newfangled machine and come eat supper, in 5 minutes.

Answer 4

I dont think 15 NFL players could work as a team, with no padding, no breaks and for 80 minutes!!!!

Answer 5

Ok, we do come up with your team. One unique problem. How do you get these guys to pass the ball and pass it backwards. In the heat of the battle you can't send your wings near to the opposition try line and then the one of the halves to make a throw at them. Should be interesting.

Answer 6

I thing all the players can play .

For example I 've got a friend that american  played football and nows played rugby.

(wing from argentina)

Answer 7

This is like saying let's get a bunch of tennis players together to have a round-robin boxing match. You can't have NFL players play rugby, its an insult to the game. They would have to come off every 10 minutes so they could have a breather, and lets not even begin on the amount of whingeing that will happen without them wearing their precious pads and helmets.

I mean, how could you pick a hooker, a scrum-half , a fly-half, or a fullback, there aren't any similar or even remotely similar positions in NFL. Aside from that rugby players are required to play offense AND defense, not just one or the other.

Rugby is a real sport, not for those who like to dress up in pads and helmets and then STILL have a whinge when they get hit.

Answer 8

i really don't think any of them can, rugby players and football players are trained in completely different ways, they would have to start building more muscle, in different places than they normally do

Answer 9

No please dude, let them stick with NFL. They are going to get hurt playing rugby. I am sure these guys are good in the NFL but rugby is a different game and for them to pick up on it won't be easy. Yes, rugby is becoming very very popular everywhere and if it continue like this it will be the most popular team sport very soon. I like your interest in this excellent game though.

Answer 10

Good Call AJ, athletes can generally play any sport but not always as good as those born into that countries main sports.

I mainly always played Rugby league but played a bit of union too, however I could play defence in soccer too (sorry ref), reasonably good at tennis, squash, cricket too.

The physicality isnt an issue is it because most of the NFL hits are fairly unadulterated hence the requirement for pads & helmets.

Rugby is similar but different and a lot of the top back field defensive players would do well as would full backs, RB's and some wide receivers probably more so in Leugue than Union.

It is natural for RB's WR's etc to pass the ball backwards just not in the traditional sense, you forget that the ball can only be passed forward once in NFL any other passes must be laterals (sideways or backwards)

Answer 11

Not Marco Rivera... Theres no blocking the Rugby (It's considered obstruction).

I think Jones-Drew would be really good, Devin Hester could be good except for his size. How about Anquan Bolden? Great hands, amazing speed, and big enough to play good defence.