REMEMBER CARLIN ISLES? The US former-sprinter dubbed the fastest man in rugby.
You know, this guy:
YouTube: rugbyplease
Well, it seems he’s changed sports again and will now look to make a career in the NFL where the Detroit Lions have signed him to their practise squad.
According to the Detroit Free Press, Isles ran a 4.22 40 yard dash at a work out earlier this week. To put that time in perspective, the fastest official 40-yard dash at an NFL combine is 4.24.
Looking at other sports or abroad isn’t anything new for the NFL as the Lions brought in leading German league wide-receiver Christian Bollmann for a workout last season (though he didn’t sign with the team) and former British discus record-holder Lawrence Okoye is currently on injured reserve with the 49ers.
“You’re looking for athletes,” Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. “It hasn’t been unusual to see basketball players transition to the NFL. That’s not just recently, that goes way back.
“Even track guys like Bob Hayes and Renaldo Nehemiah. An athlete’s an athlete. There are skills that you can develop, and if you see something you like then you can work with him.”
With the Lions out of playoff contention, they aren’t taking too much of a risk signing Isles to the practise squad and it’s always good to see coaching staff casting an eye over players from non-traditional college football backgrounds. However, whether Jim Schwartz and his coaching staff remain at Detroit next season remains to be seen.
Additional reporting from AFP.
