Originally posted by eastcoast49ersfan:
and yeah, he wasn't anything special as a rugby player, but they're different games - you don't get breaks in rugby, so there aren't many 300 pounders because they don't have the endurance. Linemen in general would not be good at rugby, because you need to be able to move in space (some DE's like JPP would be successful though). It's bizarre to me that this guy played wing given he's not very fast - I would expect him to have played forward, but maybe he's afraid of contact which would be a major concern.
rugby wingers are usually fast but you sometimes see big guys out there like Lomu for NZ, if you can run over people it's just as good as going around.
Lomu was a freak, he ran the 100m in ~10.8 seconds.
I'm from England and have been following the NFL for a couple of years (albeit the Ravens more than anybody else although I quite like the 49ers) and has quickly become one of my favourite sports. Was excited when I found out that Okoye would be signing for an NFL team because the sport is getting bigger over here and has received much more publicity over the previous few years and it will no doubt get bigger with the addition of Okoye. I understand that he probably won't play for a couple of years looking at some of your posts but what are the chances that he could be a regular in years to come? and what position?
It seems a great move for many different reasons for both Okoye and your team and will be interesting to see how it all pans out.
I'm from England and have been following the NFL for a couple of years (albeit the Ravens more than anybody else although I quite like the 49ers) and has quickly become one of my favourite sports. Was excited when I found out that Okoye would be signing for an NFL team because the sport is getting bigger over here and has received much more publicity over the previous few years and it will no doubt get bigger with the addition of Okoye. I understand that he probably won't play for a couple of years looking at some of your posts but what are the chances that he could be a regular in years to come? and what position?
It seems a great move for many different reasons for both Okoye and your team and will be interesting to see how it all pans out.
Okoye is a long shot to make the team, in all reality. We are somewhat loaded right now. It would appear the team see him on the D line.
He'll have to adapt quickly. He's done that before, not throwing a discus until he was 18, then becoming a champion and Olympian at 21. His initial value might be as a backup everywhere. As others have mentioned, he might push Dial for short yardage defense, and Dobbs for TE duty and Dixon for short yardage blocking. His background in rugby might prepare him to be a FB and carry the ball on short yardage. Of course, this will tax his relatively short time to learn all these roles.
Originally posted by WINiner:
He decided to throws discus at 18...2 years later was in the Olympics. Apparently discus takes several years to master. Hopefully he catches on to football like he did discus.
The winner of the Olympics said Okoyo was dominate the sport for a decade.
Discus throwers normally enter their prime in their late 20's 28-30.
Being an Olympian you know he is going to try hard! Menelik Watson was drafted after playing for was it 2 years?
I want this kid on the DL. He says he believes he can play like Watt. He believes having no training gives him an edge learning purely from professional coaches and only skills applicable to professional ball. He wants to be a 49. He was hoping to be drafted by the 49ers and quickly signed with us after the draft. He knows he will have to and is willing to play on the practice squad for a few years to learn and I believe he would refuse a claim from another team.
If the Niners will be patient with this kid he could really turn into an absolute dominant force on our Dline and still be relatively young when ready to play on Sundays.
I am rooting for him, his attitude is right, thats for sure.
Originally posted by DarkKnight1680:
Anyone kind of hoping they try him out at TE? Probably more opportunity there, and with his combination of size/speed/power, and his rugby background, he could be very interesting at TE - especially in the Red Zone.
I think they'll give him any opportunity to put that athleticism to use. That being said, TE is a very cerebral position, and while he's got the brains, I think it would take longer for him to pick it up than D-line. Holy s**t though, can you imagine a guy his size, strength, and speed barreling down the middle of the field?! I love the idea!
Right! Who wrote the book on what a TE/FB should weigh? Throw him in on some short screens, I'm sure no one could get near him. Then try to bring him down. With Boldin out there to throw to as well! Monster offense will be something new for DC's to figure out how to stop. Could be some big hits on special teams this year!
[ Edited by goldrush49 on Apr 28, 2013 at 9:02 AM ]
