Who is the best athlete on the field? (Updated Criteria, now with music!)

[nickzz]

who is more athletic? one of those nigerian marathon runners or an mma fighter?

 

you've got to consider endurance. anyone can run fast. being able to do it backwards and forwards and being able to make breaks and cuts on a dime and do it for 70+ plays a game makes someone pretty athletic. it at the very least puts them on par with every other position.

 

 

mma fighter. marathon runners excel at 1-2 aspects (endurance, maybe speed) of athleticism and nothing else.

 

i chose DE because there is heavy use of every aspect of athleticism on every play. the only other two positions i see in competition with DE are LB and RB.

 

also, vision isn't a form of athleicism imo. it's a talent or game skill.

[iamhubby1]

backpedaling, bailing, weaving, breaking..... you might have a point.

Sounds like a Friday night at the inlaws. Without those pesky 911 calls.

[Ken]

CB & DE for sure.

[Seal (SmittyIsOurSavior)]

I think NFL CB is the most athletically demanding position in all pro sports.

 

Boxers disagree with you. Quick, agile, incredibly strong, tough, durable, full of stamina and endurance, hand eye coordination like no other, etc etc.

 

I'd also argue that PG, SG, and SF specifically could be more athletically demanding than CB. Think Lebron as an athlete vs Revis. Best of each, but Lebron is the better athlete.

[trix123]

Has to be cornerback.......is there a postion in team sports that are less protected than CB's

Lets not forget that they are having to react to WR that are stronger, taller and in some cases just as fast if not faster than them

 

If a DE takes a play off (this isnt me getting at them because you do need a good motor to play DE) it doesnt directly result in a big play. A corner back has to be focused on just about every play as one mistake resluts in a big play and we as viewers always see the last mistake i.e a CB being poor in coverage resulting in a TD

 

I would reckon scounts look at the physical gifts tools of a cornerback more than any other position. Speed, ability to turn hips, verticle, backpedalling. In most other positions players can still get drafted high or even exceed while lacking certain physical gifts but its more rear in CBs, especially cover corners

[KJ89]

CB hands down

[L-TownCat]

Corners have the toughest job. Therefore it stands to reason that they are the most athletically gifted of all the positions. Qb's can be athletic but its not a prerequisite. Corners have to stay with the fastest guy on the offense, and mirror another human beings actions as quickly as said human thinks them and performs them. It's outside of my comprehension how these guys remain glued to their man, know where help is, and still manage to be aware of where the ball/play is going. Truly remarkable.

[Razeyfingers]

I think many of you are downplaying sight to much in the physical role. Consider that a corner only really has two guys to watch. The DE also only needs a small visual radius to get his job done.

 

When you guys say the corners job is most difficult consider that a Safety has to track damn near every guy on the field in real time. The LB's RB's WR's are also doing this at pretty large level also.

 

. . .and whos fault is it if the defense gets beat deep?

[iamhubby1]

Boxers disagree with you. Quick, agile, incredibly strong, tough, durable, full of stamina and endurance, hand eye coordination like no other, etc etc.

 

I'd also argue that PG, SG, and SF specifically could be more athletically demanding than CB. Think Lebron as an athlete vs Revis. Best of each, but Lebron is the better athlete.

Boxers may be in good shape, that does not mean however that they are good athletes. I wouldn't pick Tyson for any team sport, and he was one of the most devastating boxers ever.

I will agree that Basketball players are very good athletes. I just think the physicality of Football puts it on another level. You not only have to be athletic, you must be physically willing and able to take on players who are usually much bigger than you.

[Keith Moons Liver]

whichever position has the lowest average wonderlic score

[Razeyfingers]

Basketball has truly amazing athletes, but many of them prefer to shy away from contact. I didnt want to bring it up because it could be argued that contact is more of a mental thing in the respect of overcoming pain. That to me is still part of the criteria in that discussion but to others its not.

 

I prefer watching the NFL but I can certainly see both sides to the football-basketball argument.

[Razeyfingers]

whichever position has the lowest average wonderlic score

 

Does this mean if we go out and draft a bunch of mongoloids, we're going back to the superbowl?

[Seal (SmittyIsOurSavior)]

Boxers may be in good shape, that does not mean however that they are good athletes. I wouldn't pick Tyson for any team sport, and he was one of the most devastating boxers ever.

I will agree that Basketball players are very good athletes. I just think the physicality of Football puts it on another level. You not only have to be athletic, you must be physically willing and able to take on players who are usually much bigger than you.

 

I guess I see what you're saying. Boxers have many aspects of being athletic, but I suppose running and that sort of thing is generally seen as a big part of athleticism. 

 

And I wouldn't pick Tyson for any team sports either, mainly cause he's Mike Tyson.

 

As for someone like Floyd Mayweather, I bet he could excel in many sports. Same with someone like Pacquiao. 

[j2sgam]

I went with LB.. Not takin anything away from CB, but LBs are much more involved. They're after the QB or the RB, take on OL-men, cover. A TE or even WR... That's every damn offensive position. CBs may do the same but nowhere near the frequency that a LB has to... LB is the meat of the defense, has to do it all. Most other positions are rather specialized, even CB.......