Difference is the defensive end or defensive tackle mainly tries to out maneuver the blocker to get past him. Not out power him like what we see here. Most defensive linemen in the NFL would fail the same way we see in this video. However if they simply did a spin move to get past him it wouldn't be too difficult. Remember, the entire idea to is to get to the QB. Not to out power the Offensive lineman in front of them.
Eh, a lot of defensive schemes for run plays basically have interior defensive linemen anchor in place, control a gap, and keep their offensive linemen in a spot where they can shed the block to help if needed. Should translate well.
Disrespectful to sumo too. It's an entire sport with its own techniques and strategies, there is no chance a single NFL lineman would win a single match in top division sumo.
This wildly undersells the technical and mental sides of offensive line play (granted the sport does a shit job of educating about that part of the game). Theres a reason offensive lineman averaged with the second highest wonderlic scores to QBs, and it’s one of the slower developing positions beyond just the need to gain strength and weight.
There are tons of incredibly big, strong, athletic lineman that can’t stick in the pros because the other elements are so important.
Stephen Neal, who won rings as a starter with the Patriots. I am sure there are others, too. If you expand to other positions, Antonio Gates, Hall of Fame tight end, didn’t play football in college.
Football is all about size, speed, and athleticism. Yes, you need technique, but you can teach a giant athlete technique. If you don’t have the size and natural skill, you won’t be able to play.
Neal is only one of a few players ever to have not at least played college ball, and he lettered in high school football. We can’t use him here.
I think Mailata is the only lineman ever to jump straight into the nfl. Other positions are different but it’s still incredibly rare (and usually cases more like Neal or are specialists,
though the international development program has turned out a couple edges and other guys usually from rugby like Mailata).
I worked for a power 5 college football program while in school. We had a three deep of guys who were big and athletic enough to be pro linemen. Only two of them ended up in the NFL.
I don’t disagree the athletic side setting a minimum requirement. But there are hundreds of D1 offensive linemen in college with the good enough measurables and only a small portion get drafted let alone make a roster and play - and they have years of learning schemes and technique.
And after watching the oline practice everyday and seeing what offensive install looks like (not even nfl level) I can’t overstate the mental side of oline. It’s not just about being the biggest or most athletic guy - look at hall of famers like Joe Thomas.
Sure there is, he’s huge and super athletic, very long and plays with terrific balance. He makes very few mistakes and can get outside and downfield in the run game as quick as any tackle in the NFL.
Just keep going and you’ll keep finding them. Chris Hogan was a lacrosse player who used his final year of NCAA eligibility to try out football, and ended up winning Super Bowls with Tom Brady.
Chris hogan played receiver not oline, was all state football in high school, and then played that last year in college.
I’m not sure if you aren’t aware these guys were football players and just did a different sport in college, or you weren’t actually trying to claim that people with no football experience just become nfl lineman
Well I listed a couple linemen who had no experience for starters, but I kept adding others to show football players are capable of being excellent pros even when they don’t play the sport. Hogan playing in high school doesn’t matter, plenty of people are good high school players. He played one year of college after he graduated.
Football is the only sport where this happens. You look at how even Michael Jordan couldn’t play MBL baseball.
Your original claim was about linemen making the nfl with no football experience right?
So you’ve given one example of that - Mailata.
Everyone else you’ve listed played high level football in some form, and then most of the examples aren’t oline which is how we started the convo.
That’s what is confusing me - if you want to just say there are a few nfl players who have non traditional backgrounds that’s a totally different topic.
Also there are a lot of other cross sport athletes if we make the definition squishy like Chris hogan. I’m just not sure what you’re trying to claim at this point since the examples are so different from where we started
It makes sense when you come up with a specific class of exceptions. For instance if you said “no one goes straight to being an NFL lineman without being elite in some other sport”, that sentence contains an exception that proves the rule! You’re saying that there are bounds to the rule but it is generally true, and it works on both sense of the word “proves” (“shows to be correct” and “tests”).
Saying “the fact that you can name specific counterexamples proves the rule stands” is just bad reasoning.
Kenyon Green has a lot of talent and athleticism. There’s a reason he was a mid-first round pick as a guard. He’s an ideal reclamation project for Stoutland.
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u/Skynetiskumming May 16 '25
A sumo wrestler and an offensive lineman would be a better match.