Ex-NCAA and WWE wrestling champ Brock Lesnar to NFL?

[BlueMeanie]

It was mentioned in passing during Wrestlemania the other day that Brock Lesnar's last match was that evening (against ex-NFL player Goldberg), and that he plans to pursue a career in the NFL.

This is the only link I could find that wasn't a wrestling fan site, but even this article quotes one.

http://www.foxsports.com/content/view?contentId=2218514

One problem with the article. While it would certainly be "unheard of" for a pro wrestler to make an NFL team, Lesnar wouldn't be the first ex-college wrestler to play in the NFL. Carleton Haselrig had a pretty good career before drug problems, and Stephen Neal has been a good player for New England the last couple years when he's healthy. Like Lesnar, neither Haselrig nor Neal played a down of college football. And Lesnar's only a couple years older than Neal and Haselrig were when they tried out. (FWiW, Neal beat Lesnar in the 1999 NCAA heavyweight championship.)

I doubt Lesnar would play much this upcoming season if he makes a team. It could take a while on the practice squad or special teams just to re-learn the game (he hasn't played since HS, when he was all-state in South Dakota as a junior according to one of the pro wrestling sites I checked).

(Off-topic, don't forget the NCAA wrestling championships are this Sunday on ESPN2.)

[zverskiy yobar]

This cannot be serious.I mean c'mon, just because this guy has muscles does not mean he'll stand a chance on a NFL squad.I wonder if this guy realizes how Fast an NFL game is played.someone better inform him about how they are not choreographed either.
Really this guy is way over his head and I dont think he'll make a freaking AFL side let alone a NFL one.There are plenty of muscle bound twits who can hit, to play on the big stage you have to know how to play football.its Something you just dont learn overnight ,but from years of playing quality opponents (like soccer and Hockey).

[KDdidit]

Well it's always smart move to get out of pro wrestling before your body falls apart, can't fault him for that I spose. Probably sees the guy he wrestled last WM and another former amateur champion Kurt Angle in constant pain and in such bad shape he's the "General Manager" now because he can't take the punishment on his neck (just like the other GM, Stone Cold). Certainly faceplanting on attempted shooting star press last WM and knocking himself out probably got him thinking. Maybe the reason his WM match with Bill Goldberg was so bad was becasue he was asking him about his brief career with the Atlanta and was asking for tips. You wouldn't have been able to hear anything they said anyway in between the "you sold out" and "borrrrrrrrrring" chants and the general booing during the match. He has almost no charisma so there's no way he could have been in movies, heck he would be bad in made-for-TV movies let alone ones like The Rock is in. Probably saw another sport as his only choice and figured football was his best shot. Do I think he'll make it? Not really, but might as well find out now instead of when he can hardly move.

[BlueMeanie]

To flat-out assume he might not be able to get on a roster or practice squad for this season is questionable. He hasn't been out of college that long, and was an elite athlete there. In HS football, he was all-state in South Dakota as a junior (pretty damn good in any state), and was injured his senior year. So he was an above-average football player, too. FWiW, according to this week's hard copy Wrestling Observer (www.wrestlingobserver.com) (which reports factually about mixed martial arts, pro wrestling, and some amateur wrestling), he had a workout for some scouts down in Arizona last week and ran a 4.65 40 yard dash, 35 inch standing vertical jump, 10 foot standing broad jump, and benched 225 30 times. The jumps are amazing for a guy that size (even for NFLers).

The deck's definitely stacked against him, though.

[zverskiy yobar]

To flat-out assume he might not be able to get on a roster or practice squad for this season is questionable. He hasn't been out of college that long, and was an elite athlete there. In HS football, he was all-state in South Dakota as a junior (pretty damn good in any state), and was injured his senior year. So he was an above-average football player, too. FWiW, according to this week's hard copy Wrestling Observer (www.wrestlingobserver.com) (which reports factually about mixed martial arts, pro wrestling, and some amateur wrestling), he had a workout for some scouts down in Arizona last week and ran a 4.65 40 yard dash, 35 inch standing vertical jump, 10 foot standing broad jump, and benched 225 30 times. The jumps are amazing for a guy that size (even for NFLers).

The deck's definitely stacked against him, though.

I assumed he likely played at least HS ball.All state is pretty impressive but it still doesnt mean he's qualified to get a NFL tryout.there is a Huge jump between JV HS ball and Div 1 Collegiate ball, not to mentioon an even greater leap between D1 and the Pros.
you have some guys with serious college backgrounds struggel to find a footing in the NFL.You can have all the physical talent in the world, but if you dont know how to play the game youll never amount to jack.

I personally see this as another lame ass cheapen the game.It seems the marketers want to make the NFL in to the NBA.That actual football talent is seen as secondary to athleticism .I guess I am an old school type of football fan, I like to watch 22 guys play football and not 22 guys strut around like peacocks.

[BlueMeanie]

I assumed he likely played at least HS ball.All state is pretty impressive but it still doesnt mean he's qualified to get a NFL tryout.there is a Huge jump between JV HS ball
Where do you get "JV?" He was a varsity player as a junior. JV players don't make all-state. Ever. Also, not to flame, but did you read the first post in this thread? There's already someone currently in the NFL who wrestled in college but didn't play college football (Stephen Neal of the Patriots). And he's not the first one to do it. Lesnar's only a couple years older than the others were when they tried out.
I personally see this as another lame ass cheapen the game.It seems the marketers want to make the NFL in to the NBA.
Yeah, that's why the league just voted in the 15-yard celebration penalty. (http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=103497) :rolleyes: Regarding cheapening the game, trust me, Lesnar won't make a team if he's not good enough. But if he is good enough, he will. No NFL team will lay out money for anyone who shouldn't be there. I also seriously doubt Lesnar would be a pro-bowler his first season, but what's wrong with being on the practice squad or being a sub his first year or two to get used to the speed and the level of talent?
That actual football talent is seen as secondary to athleticism .I guess I am an old school type of football fan, I like to watch 22 guys play football and not 22 guys strut around like peacocks.
What makes you think he'll be one of the guys who struts around like a peacock? I doubt his pro wrestling persona was a reflection of reality. I saw him win the NCAA wrestling title and he didn't act like a dick. He was playing a character on WWE.

[KDdidit]

He was playing a character on WWE.And even then he was pretty dull. Most emotion I even heard him express was filippin off the crowd at MSG for booing him the whole match with Goldberg. I'll certainly be interested to see how he does though, see enough stories about guys who play minor league baseball for years only to come back to football. Mostly these guys are in the "skill" positions, maybe it'd be easier for somebody who won't be playing quarterback, who knows.

[BlueMeanie]

And even then he was pretty dull.
Agreed. He needed a dedicated manager as a mouthpiece, and when they separated Brock and Heyman, he lost a lot of "charisma" that he never really had in the first place. FWiW, I don't blame him for getting disillusioned with pro wrestling. Not just the stuff you mention in your first post (injuries to Angle, landing on his neck at WMIX, etc.). He apparently wasn't thrilled at all with how he was booked last year, as the big bully beating up all the little wrestlers. He was pissed when they gave Guerrero the WWE belt and then didn't book a long program to fight over it with Eddie. And they planned to feed him to the Undertaker after WMXX. He's turning down a potential long-term eight figure deal w/WWE to pursue football, but he can always go back to wrestling if he really wants to.

[KDdidit]

I'd sure as heck be embarrased to be in a PPV WWE title match against Bob Holly, that's for sure. Not to take this too far from football but I remember an old joke about about the Undertaker having a garage sale but nobody could buy anything because he only "sells" to Stone Cold. But hey the WWE will take anybody back that left on good terms, heck they even take a lot of people back who left them on bad terms so it's not like Brock won't be back. Plus if he even gets a sniff of the NFL they'll hype the heck out of it when he comes back.

[Ringo]

I personally see this as another lame ass cheapen the game.It seems the marketers want to make the NFL in to the NBA.That actual football talent is seen as secondary to athleticism .

as lame and as marketing driven as, oh i don't know, signing a 14-year-old kid to your league? :D

[BlueMeanie]

Bump.

According to Andrew Siciliano (who filled in for Rome yesterday), Lesnar will be in camp with the Vikings, his favorite team and the one he wanted to be on all along.

Looking for a link.

[Mach1]

According to ESPN.com's Wayne Drehs, he's already worked out for them...

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1830855

I for one don't think he'll make it to a NFL team this year. While he is one heck of an athlete, he hasn't played football since high school; and combine that with the fact he's 26, I don't know if any teams will be willing to spend any of their slots on him to see if he can play. With only around 8 spots available on the practice squad, I don't see how they'd be willing to let someone else go for that big of a gamble. His only chance is probably to find a CFL team that's willing to sign him on publicity alone, or wait until the next NFL Europe season. Either way, if we ever see him on the field in an NFL regular season game, it's going to be at least 2-3 years from now.

[monster]

Couple of observations:

1. I don't follw pro wrestling, but I'm not surprised he was pretty dull from watching him wrestle in college. He was a stud, but had no real spark.

2. The kid was a specimen in college and incredibly agile, even if he failed to use those skills to the maximum, IMHO. I think this will kill his drive to make the NFL because he just did what he had to when I watche dhim wrestle. I fail to see how he'll change that in football.

I had no idea Stephen Neal was with the pats. He was the anti-Lesnar, full of piss and vinegar and always looking for an advantage. Could easily be getting ready to wrestle in Athens this summer.

[BlueMeanie]

I had no idea Stephen Neal was with the pats. He was the anti-Lesnar, full of piss and vinegar and always looking for an advantage. Could easily be getting ready to wrestle in Athens this summer.
I'm not sure Neal could've gotten by Kerry McCoy at this point; McCoy improves every time I see him wrestle and I'm glad he's getting a chance in Athens. FWiW, Kurt Angle has apparently sent feelers to McCoy to try to get him to go to WWE after the Olympics.

****

Well, by this point Lesnar's signed and getting ready to be in camp with the Vikes tomorrow. His speed and standing vertical jump are freakish for a guy his size, his bench press reps average, and his biggest obstacle will be relearning the game at this point. He's a project at best, like I said earlier in the thread, probably a target for the practice squad his first year.

[The Rising Suun]

Reports from camp are that he has the requisite skills for run stopping, but he needs time to develop pass-rush moves. There is a good chance he ends up on the practice squad. He just needs mental adjustment time, cause the physical stuff is all there.

[BlueMeanie]

Reports from camp are that he has the requisite skills for run stopping, but he needs time to develop pass-rush moves. There is a good chance he ends up on the practice squad. He just needs mental adjustment time, cause the physical stuff is all there.
This is a big jump from many "experts'" initial opinion. Lesnar has also agreed to play in NFL Europe if necessary, which is a change from his initial stance on the issue.

Apparently, in his first full contact scrimmage, he had four tackles, a sack, injured QB Damon Huard, and got in a couple fights. He's roomies in camp with Chris Hovan, so he's getting lots of extra tutoring in playing DT.