NFL 2016 Rumors: Usain Bolt Offered to Play Wideout; 'World's Fastest Man' to Play in NFL?
Of all athletes in the world scene in this era, few have really captivated sports fans from all ages and nations. One of them is Michael Phelps, who has 23 Olympic golds in a record-setting career, arguably being the greatest swimmer of all time.
On another sport stands another example, who had by far etched his name in history as the world's fastest runner. Usain Bolt had already made a huge footprint on worldwide athletics, but at 30 years old and with all the attention on him, it looks like he is far from done.
He had gained a lot of fame with both his superhuman abilities and his showboating tendencies. So much so, that Bolt looks to have become a potential free agent for different sports should he retire from the track field.
The NFL
One such rumor looks to be an NFL career. Bolt himself said he had received offers to play wide receiver for America's football league, but he said he had not entertained the htought just yet.
He has the speed of 4.64 seconds on a 40-yard dash. That is the average running time of a wideout who had just been picked out of the draft. Still, despite his tremendous abilities on the track, he might have a harder time in the NFL.
More than speed, the NFL is a game of physicality. Bolt is only 207 pounds, albeit being 6-foot-5, so he still has to build weight. More than that, however, he has to be ready to take hard hits to get open, as he will go up with tougher and tougher defenses.
Receiver Julio Jones called out the trumors, too, saying Bolt would have to catch up to and outpace guys like Justin Gatlin. He would have to get out quick to be able to catch throws, which is one of the things he could learn from Gatlin.
Dancing with the Stars
The world's fastest runner may have other things in mind when he retires from competition soon—and that is far from the NFL. The highest-paid track athlete, who earned as much as $32.5 million over the past two years, seemingly wants to join fellow high-profile athletes in Dancing with the Stars.
Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte and gymnast Laurie Hernandez are on the show this season. Thus, a hopeful Bolt reportedly contacted the show for inquiries.