Could the average NFL fan make it to 20 carries in a game??

[MicroBob]

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The games we (UPenn) played against the academies were some of the hardest hitting games I've seen, across the board.

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And still wouldn't even be remotely close to an NFL experience would be my guess.
Your background puts you a bit closer than most of the guys on here. But that's some of the hardest hitting stuff you've ever been a part of and it's probably still leap-years away from NFL caliber hitting, isn't it?

[MicroBob]

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What about the possibility of really protecting yourself kind of curling into a ball as you try to barrell into the line (or the theoretical hole in the line assuming you could find it)?

If you stay upright and try to speed your way to a 10-yard carry every time then you are going to get clobbered and MIGHT last 3 carries before you just can't breathe from having the wind knocked out of you.

But your chances of doing this should be better if you bunch up a bit and stay really low to the ground.

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You're much more likely to get hurt if you're trying to protect yourself. Meet force with force and hope you bounce right.

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This doesn't make sense to me.
I thought most running-backs ran in such a way that they could absorb a hit.
Not just lolly-gag your way through there all open.

QB's and receivers that don't protect themselves because they don't see the hit coming get clobbered.
RB's who are expecting to get hit are kind of protecting themselves I thought.

[MicroBob]

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I am 5'8'' and about 170 or so. If I was 150-155 I could easily last 20 carries. I have taken huge hits without pads on playing against people much bigger than me. With pads this is easy barring any crazy injury which could happen to anyone on any play.

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I think this is really misinformed.

Hits from 'people much bigger than you' are not all created equal.

I've taken some pretty big hits on the soccer field from players much bigger than me too.
Yeah, they were soccer hits but I got crushed pretty good by some 6-3 or 6-4 guy or elbowed in the head by the goalie, etc etc.

This doesn't even come close to comparing to the difference of getting hit by some NFL linebacker.


Pads are there to pretty much keep you from getting killed.
It's not like they are so strong that you aren't going to feel anything.


I've been on the sidelines at some mid-major college-football games.
Even at that level these guys are pretty freaking big (and I'm not...which made them seem that much bigger to me).


I'm re-thinking my ideas on how few people could do this and am now thinking it's actually fewer than I originally thought.

You could take some relatively strong and (probably) steroid-pumped baseball guys when they were in their prime like a Bonds or Giambi and I'm thinking even those guys would come out of a 20 carry NFL session saying, "There's no freaking way I'm ever doing that again."

And these are pretty strong and well-conditioned guys who would have a much better chance of pulling this off than the everyday-joe fans we're talking about in this thread.

[SuperUberBob]

I'll consider it a miracle if I get through 1 NFL carry without breaking my neck, let alone 20.

[Lottery Larry]

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If he does it again he gets moved over to the wide receiver line.

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Hey! I was a wide receiver and kick returner!

[Lottery Larry]

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What about the possibility of really protecting yourself kind of curling into a ball as you try to barrell into the line (or the theoretical hole in the line assuming you could find it)?

If you stay upright and try to speed your way to a 10-yard carry every time then you are going to get clobbered and MIGHT last 3 carries before you just can't breathe from having the wind knocked out of you.

But your chances of doing this should be better if you bunch up a bit and stay really low to the ground.

[/ QUOTE ]

You're much more likely to get hurt if you're trying to protect yourself. Meet force with force and hope you bounce right.

[/ QUOTE ]


This doesn't make sense to me.
I thought most running-backs ran in such a way that they could absorb a hit.
Not just lolly-gag your way through there all open.

QB's and receivers that don't protect themselves because they don't see the hit coming get clobbered.
RB's who are expecting to get hit are kind of protecting themselves I thought.

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Sorry, I meant that if you're just worried about getting hit and trying to avoid it, you're more likely in my experience to get hurt.

[Lottery Larry]

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The games we (UPenn) played against the academies were some of the hardest hitting games I've seen, across the board.

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And still wouldn't even be remotely close to an NFL experience would be my guess.
Your background puts you a bit closer than most of the guys on here. But that's some of the hardest hitting stuff you've ever been a part of and it's probably still leap-years away from NFL caliber hitting, isn't it?

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Oh, agreed. As I said elsewhere, even back when I was crazy I'd need a lot more than $170k on the line to take on a pro linebacker/safety.

I just disagree a bit with those that say it would be instant death to take even a few runs against the pros, if you have some decent experience and training.

Said experience is NOT part of the average NFL fan IMO, just to be clear as to the original OP.

[Lottery Larry]

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They were playing the Rams and Marshall Faulk took a ball (from an Ace set - he was in a normal I tailback spot with no FB) and was immediately met by Sapp, who had pushed aside the 280 lb center like he was a coat hanging in a closet. Sapp lifted Faulk up with one arm (like a clothesline but across the chest) and slammed him to the ground.

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Honestly, I'd be less worried about that than a crushing weakside hit from a monster. I bounce pretty well- it would hurt, but I'd expect to be more likely to be injured by a hit than a bodyslam in that manner.

I could be wrong, of course, but that's the way I'd bet.

One thing this thread has made me realize- god do I miss playing the game.

[Golden_Rhino]

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To everyone saying, "He'd only get hurt in the open field or if he made it to the linebacker level," you're completely forgetting that the linebackers are going to be coming to him. The o-line will open a hole... that the average fan won't come close to hitting. He's just way too slow compared to the linebackers and pro RBs. Many times, those runs that get "stacked up at the line" are because of the linebackers filling. If its an average idiot back in the RB spot, the linebackers won't be filling, they'll be coming straight through the hole to snot bubble him.

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I mentioned that he wouldn't hit the hole, and as a result wouldn't get creamed. I now stand corrected. I think I personally could do 20 carries though.

[MicroBob]

If I was forced at gun-point to try to do this I would pretty much just stay low and try to ball or curl up as much as I could to protect myself while half-diving forward.

I would do this practically INTO some lineman. Not trying to avoid him because that would be impossible.

Using a technique something like this where I'm content to just get back to scrimmage or take 1 or 2 yard losses every play (actually gaining yardage with my lack of speed would probably be impossible barring some gigantic hole in the line) I believe there is an outside shot I might be able to survive 20 carries.