IN A WEEK’S time, the University of Central Florida and Penn State will go head to head in the Croke Park Classic, the opening game of their respective college football seasons.
With that in mind, we decided to take a look at some of the NFL players we’d love to see grace our national games.
Here’s who we came up with.
1. Calvin Johnson
In terms of his ability to turn a game on its head single-handedly, Clavin Johnson compares favourably with Colm Cooper. Hard to argue that Megatron isn’t a better nickname than the Gooch though.
2. JJ Watt
This might be the first time in history anyone has made this comparison but there’s nobody in the NFL better suited to being an inter-county hurling goalkeeper than JJ Watt. His wingspan, bravery, agility are all suited to the position. And imagine the power he could get on a 13m free?
3. Charles Tillman
Charles ‘peanut’ Tillman is probably the best defensive back in the game with an ability to break up plays and get his team moving in the other direction when called upon. A Rory O’Carroll type figure for the Bears.
4. Colin Kaepernick
Athletic? Check. Physically imposing? Check. Can Break a tackle? Check. Isn’t CK7 the perfect inside forward or, even better, given the strength of his distribution, in that wandering Mark McHugh-style role. No sign of him dropping off the 49ers ‘panel’ any time soon though.
5. Adrian Peterson
His nickname is ‘all day’ and that’s practically All-Ireland. Peterson is probably the best running back in the league and would be more than capable of dealing with a blanket defence.
What about you, which NFL players would you like to see try their hand at GAA and why? Let us know in the comments below.
I’ll tell you 1 thing you won’t expect to happen in Croke Park – the Kerry/Mayo replay!