I really don’t know how else to categorize this other than desperation, although hindsight will either call it madness or brilliance. The Jets have invited two unlikely individuals to their rookie minicamp: world-class wrestlers Cole Konrad and Tommy Rowlands, both two-time NCAA wrestling champs who haven’t played football since middle school for the most part.
Now, don’t get me wrong, it would be pretty cool, kind of Billy Beane-esque, if Eric Mangini is right on these guys and they make the team. In a copycat league like the NFL, scouts all over the league will then be frequenting college wrestling matches and you may even live to see the day where non-college football players are invited to the NFL pre-draft combine.
But considering how many football players there are in all the divisions of college, you would think there has to be two better options for an invite than two guys who haven’t put on a helmet since their biggest opponents were 180 pounds.
Right?
2 responses so far ↓
1 Joe Laszewski // May 15, 2007 at 9:21 pm
Remember the Brock Lesner saga in Vikings camp a few years back. He actually made a few cuts and almost made the team if i recall.
2 eric // May 15, 2007 at 11:02 pm
Yea, I am sure that one of these days it will work out for someone, but considering how much more goes into professional football than just athleticism, I guess I just figure the invite to rookie camp would be better risked on some DII or DIII guy instead.
But if I’m wrong, and one of these guys makes the team, well then I guess I’ll just have to dedicate a post to the intelligence of Mangini
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