Usain Bolt could have been a star in the NFL, though the Jamaican track superstar elected to stay away from the field.
Bolt, known as one of the fastest men in Olympic history , made his mark by breaking numerous records during the Summer Games, often defeating his opponents handily. At 6-foot-5, Bolt's combination of size and speed made him an interesting proposition for NFL teams looking for a speedy wideout to bolster their roster.
However, it was Bolt who decided against signing with any team, despite the immense interest he garnered for his physical talents. During an interview with Dan Patrick, Bolt shared that NFL teams have entertained bringing him on, but he ultimately denied their offers.
"I've never really thought about going," Bolt revealed to Patrick in 2016 . "But I've gotten offers and people have asked me." The 36-year-old did not specify which teams reached out to him but he shared that the main reason he decided against making the jump to the NFL was because of the beating each player took during each game.
"I used to watch [football] when I was younger, and the hits that the guys used to take. ... I know that it is not as bad now, but the hits that the guys would take kind of turned me off," he added. And it stands to reason that Bolt is worried about his body and health if he were to play in the NFL.
NFL players frequently take an immense amount of contact every game, with players often having to deal with bruises and concussions. Regarding concussions, Miami Dolphins star Tua Tagovailoa recently sustained yet another concussion, endangering his playing career as well as his health.
It has been proven that consistent head trauma and concussions could lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which could lead to dementia and behavioral problems, depending on the situation. The only way to determine if a player has CTE is during an autopsy and it has been reported by the Boston University CTE Center that out of 376 deceased NFL players, 345 had some form of CTE.
Aside from potentially dangerous brain injuries and diseases, players can also get injured physically, as evidenced by what happened to Detroit Lions star Aidan Hutchinson. During the Lions' matchup against the Cowboys, Hutchinson sacked Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott.
However, Hutchinson collided with teammate Alim McNeill, causing his leg to break . So gruesome was the injury that FOX elected not to show replays of the incident.
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Considering the severity of the injury, the Lions are expected to play the rest of the season without their star. With Hutchinson out, Detroit could expect the young star to return in February, at the earliest, though that is if the Lions make it to the Super Bowl.
“This was about as clean a break as you could possibly hope for," Albert Breer said, per Sports Illustrated . "The timetable is about four months. That puts him in play for the Super Bowl if the Lions get there. Even if that doesn't happen, it looks like he's gonna have a full offseason in 2025, which could set him up to have a big second contract over the next few months."
Considering how detrimental an injury could be to an NFL player, it makes sense why Bolt elected to opt out of any deals.
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