A few weeks ago, I was watching an NFL game on TV and the commentators started talking about 7 footers in the league. This got me thinking, has there ever been a 7 footer in the NFL? I was intrigued and decided to do some research on the topic.
As it turns out, the answer is yes! In fact, there have been two 7 footers in the NFL in recent years. The first was Phil Loadholt. He was drafted in 2009 by the Minnesota Vikings and stood at an impressive 7’0” tall. Phil actually managed to play a few years in the league, appearing in a total of 66 games across his seven seasons in the NFL. The second 7 footer was Dan Mozes, drafted in 2006 by the Washington Redskins standing at 7’1”. He unfortunately finished with no official stats in the league and retired from professional football in 2008.
So, it seems that the NFL has seen some 7 footers pass through its ranks, although admittedly there haven’t been many of them. This makes me wonder why they haven’t been more successful? Is it because they are so tall that they don’t have enough agility to really play effectively? Or perhaps the lack of 7 footers in the league is because it requires such a rare combination of size and skill to even make it into the NFL in the first place?
Personally, I think that 7 footers can perhaps find more success in other sports. While I’m sure there are many mental and physical benefits to being tall, the reality is that it can be difficult to adjust to the shorter, faster players in the NFL. Perhaps they would find a better fit in Basketball, where they can really use their height to their advantage?
I suppose another factor could be the perception of the NFL towards tall players. It may be that teams are reluctant to pick 7 footers because they fear they won’t fit in well with the other players, or may require more time adapting to the game.
Due to this, I believe that the NFL should focus more on the development of tall players, so that the league has more of an opportunity to see them reach their full potential. Maybe if they did that, we’d have more Phil Loadholts and Dan Mozes, and more 7 footers in the NFL!
Moreover, the lack of tall players in the NFL is a bit of a shame due to all the potential entertainment value they could bring. Watching a 7 footer play football is certainly quite a spectacle. Who knows, maybe one day the NFL will find it easier to incorporate them, and then we’ll really get to see some 7 footers in the league!
On a related note, it would be great to see the NFL introduce more supports and programs to help tall players reach their full potential. Obviously, having a 7 footer in the league is a very special situation, and it’s no surprise that it requires special support for them to reach their destiny.
When you look at the wider scope of professional sports, 7 footers are incredibly rare! Being of that height and having the physical attributes and technical ability to make it to the highest levels is an astonishing feat. Just imagine if one of these 7 footers manages to crack the NFL – it wouldn’t only be something to behold, but it could also open the door for even more tall players to make it.
At the end of the day, it’s hard to say whether we’ll ever see another 7 footer in the NFL. We know that they have been there in the past, and that they have at least a chance to make it in the league. But it’s also difficult to assess how a 7 footer might hold up in the current climate of the NFL.
In conclusion, we can all hope that there will be more 7 footers in the NFL at some point. If they do, it would be quite a spectacle! Until then, we can look to the few 7 footers that have managed to pull it off in the past, like Phil Loadholt and Dan Mozes, as an inspiration for all tall players looking to make it to the highest level.