Welcome to the Twilight Zone. In this article I will be pulling athletes from every sport possible to construct a “football super team”.
The goal of this is simple — to have fun. So please leave a comment below and let’s see who would be on your football super team! Grab yourself your favorite beer, cocktail, or a cup of coffee and let’s run through this squad!
Offense
Quarterback
Starter: Joe Mauer, Baseball Player
Joe Mauer may have been the easiest name to pencil in. Mauer was a five-star quarterback coming out of highschool. He had a legitimate chance to be the starting quarterback for the Florida State Seminoles.
Instead, he opted to enter the MLB draft. Not a bad choice at all as he went number one overall and went on to have a hall of fame career in the MLB.
Backup: Jason Kidd, Basketball Player
I could not find anything about Jason Kidd playing football. However, at 6’4” and 215 pounds, he has the frame of a quarterback. Add in his athleticism and vision as a passer on the hardwood and there is a strong chance he turns into a great quarterback.
Playing quarterback isn’t just about height, weight, talent and athleticism though. Jason Kidd is a clear leader, highlighted by become a coach after his hall of fame NBA career was over.
Running Backs
The tandem of Zion Williamson and Russell Westbrook would work well as a classic thunder and lightning duo.
Zion Williamson, Basketball Player
Zion might be a biscuit away from transitioning to the offensive line, but for now he provides enough strength and speed to scare anyone on defense with the ball in his hands and a head of steam.
Williamson would also serve as the fullback and spend time at tight end as well. At 6’6” and 290 pounds, Williamson will move around this offense often. With that size he could develop into a phenomenal blocker.
Russell Westbrook, Basketball Player
Russell Westbrook is one of the most explosive athletes in the NBA. With his competitive mindset and speed, teams would have trouble bringing him down with just one tackler.
Dwayne Wade, Basketball Player
Dwayne Wade would likely come in on third and long situations to provide a pass catching threat out of the backfield. With his speed and quickness he would be a threat to take anything to the house.
Wide Receivers
Experience, speed, quickness, and size. This wide receiver room has absolutely everything an offense could want.
Jeff Samardzija, Baseball Player
Jeff Samardzija was once Notre Dame’s leading receiver two seasons in a row. Accumulating 2,266 receiving yards and 27 touchdowns his final two seasons in South Bend.
Usain Bolt, Olympic Athlete
Usain Bolt’s speed is obvious. His size — 6’5” 205 pounds — is also exciting. He may need to be coached up on the nuances of route running, but he brings dynamic size and speed immediately.
Mookie Betts, Baseball Player
Perhaps under the radar, Mookie Betts is one of the most athletic stars on this list. Mookie is a legitimate professional bowler as well. While competing in the Professional Bowlers Association World Series, Betts bowled a perfect game in 2017.
However, Betts’ bowling prowess is not the reason he is on this lineup. Mookie is a gold glove outfielder in the MLB, showing off incredible ball tracking skills that are valuable for a wide receiver. His second best position is second base, where he displays incredible reaction time and quickness to field ground balls. Those skills would show up every play as a slot receiver.
Kevin Durant, Basketball Player
Kevin Durant is an elite scorer, maybe the best in NBA history. His size — 7’0” and 240 pounds (although there is plenty of debate on his actual measurements) — would provide this team with an almost un-guard-able goal line option. Making him potentially an elite scorer in two sports.
Tight Ends
Giannis Antetokoumpo, Basketball Player
Serving as the same goal line option as Kevin Durant, Giannis gives this team similar size at 6’11” and 250 pounds. However, “The Greek Freak” might bring a slightly nastier streak as a blocker.
Dave Bautista, Wrestler
Our first WWE superstar is here. Some might bash the inclusion of — earmuffs for all 10 year olds reading this — “fake wrestlers”, but they have every right to be on this football super team.
Standing at 6’4” and weighing 280 pounds, Bautista possess enough athleticism for his size to be a weapon as a blocker and still be sufficient as a pass catcher. “The Animal” would be moved around all over the offensive formation to utilize his size and speed as a downhill blocker most often. He would serve as the back-up to Giannis and Zion.
Offensive Line
A football super team is incredibly hard to make inside the trenches. Most big, strong, athletic freaks are currently in the NFL.
Left Tackle: CC Sabathia, Baseball Player
Left Guard: Bartolo Colón, Baseball Player
The left side of this offensive line is featuring two of baseballs biggest pitchers. Not only in name — as Sabathia checks in at 6’6” and 300 pound and Colón at 5’11” and 285 pounds.
Center: Pablo Sandoval, Baseball Player
Pablo Sandoval is easily the smallest lineman on this team. At 5’10” and 270 pounds, “Kung Fu Panda” should be able to use his surprising agility and awareness to be a solid offensive center.
Right Guard: Mark Henry, Wrestler
Right Tackle: The Big Show (Paul Wight), Wrestler
The world’s largest tag team is back. Mark Henry and The Big Show are no strangers to working together, as they were a tag team duo in the WWE from 2013-2014.
The right side of this offensive line would be a terror to go against. Henry at 6’4” and 440 pounds and Wight at 7’0” and 420 pounds, would be absolute maulers as offensive linemen. Paving huge runways for the rest of this football super team.
Defense
Defensive Linemen
Prince Fielder, Baseball Player
Prince Fielder is another big boy in baseball. At 5’11” and 275 pounds, he would work as this football super team’s nose tackle and space-eater along the defensive line.
Charles Barkley, Basketball Player
PJ Tucker, Basketball Player
Dwight Howard, Basketball Player
This trio of basketball players will fill out the defensive line rotation, playing anything from the 3-tech to the 7-tech. All three have exceptional instincts and ability to bat down passes at the line of scrimmage.
Edge Rushers
Lebron James, Basketball Player
One of the most physically gifted athletes of all-time. Most people would simply slot “The King” into his highschool position, tight end and call it a day.
At edge rusher, Lebron has a much better chance at making an impact on every single play. Standing 6’9”and weighing 250 pounds, James in his prime would glide up and down the court as if he was 6’2” and 190 pounds.
Muhammad Ali, Boxer
Muhammad Ali would be an absolute nightmare for offensive lines and quarterbacks. At 6’3” and 215 pounds, Ali may look slightly undersized for an edge rusher. However, Ali’s violent hands, long arms, speed, and agility would be more than enough to stop offensive tackles from ever getting ahold of him.
Jon Jones, Mixed Martial Artist
Jon Jones is an incredibly talented mixed martial artist. At 6’4” and 210 pounds, Jones is another “small” edge rusher. Similar to Muhammad Ali, Jones would rely on technical skills and agility to win on the edge rather than pure strength.
Jon “Bones” Jones is the brother of Arizona Cardinals star edge rusher Chandler Jones. That relationship made slotting in “Bones” Jones at edge rusher a no-brainer.
Linebackers
Barry Bonds, Baseball Player
Barry Bonds might be the most hated athlete on this list. He’s also one of the biggest freaks. At 6’2” and 230 pounds. Barry Bonds would be able to run with any tight end in the NFL while having the size and strength to be a contributor in the running game.
Playing the weak-side linebacker spot, Bonds’ main duty would be to eliminate tight ends and runningbacks in the passing game.
John Cena, Wrestler
John Cena would fit in perfectly as this football super team’s captain on defense. Playing middle linebacker, John Cena would be in-charge of all checks, audibles, and keys.
Cena would back a punch as a hitter, at 6’1” and 250 pounds. His “You can’t see me” motto would also be a nice bonus for a middle of the field defender in pass coverage, Jamies Winston has been warned.
Mike Tyson, Boxer
Mike Tyson was one of the most dominant boxers of all-time. Standing at 5’10” and weighing 220 pounds, Tyson may be under-sized. What he lacks in height and mass, he makes up for with his insane mentality.
Penciling Tyson in as this team’s strong-side linebacker was a no brainer. He would be regarded as one of the hardest hitters on this team, with no regard for the safety of himself or others.
Cornerbacks
Michael Jordan, Basketball Player
The G.O.A.T., Michael Jordan is the perfect athlete to slot in as a cornerback. At 6’6” and 215 pounds, he would be the biggest cornerback in the NFL by a large margin.
Jordan’s ability to match ball handlers step for step on the hardwood would transition nicely to the gridiron when covering wide receivers.
Jordan’s killer instinct and overall mentality of hating to lose is exactly what cornerbacks mentality needs to be to survive on the outside.
Kobe Bryant, Basketball Player
Kobe Bryant is another legend. He is constantly compared to Michael Jordan as a basketball player, so it’s common sense to make him Jordan’s teammate in the secondary.
Everything said about Michael Jordan and his fit as a cornerback is exactly the same for Kobe Bryant.
This duo would play plenty of press-man coverage. Jamming wide receivers at the line of scrimmage and disrupting the timing of every pass.
Allen Iverson, Basketball Player
Allen Iverson’s highschool highlight tape is absolutely incredible to watch, check that out here. He was a quarterback at Bethel Highschool in Hampton, Virginia. However, Iverson is a pure playmaker. Where ever he is on the field he will be electric.
Someone with Allen Iverson’s level swagger and extreme confidence is a must in any secondary. He would have free reign as a nickel corner to freelance at times and make big time plays. While also possessing the athleticism to stay with just about any wide receiver lined up across from him.
Kamaru Usman, Mixed Martial Artist
Another mixed martial artist on this football super team. Kamaru Usman would provide some needed physicality to this secondary. At 6’0” and 170 pounds, Usman’s role would be near the line of scrimmage as a corner-safety hybrid.
Usman’s background as a wrestler would help immensely when shedding blocks and making tackles in the run game.
Safeties
Mike Trout, Baseball Player
Built similarly to Barry Bonds, Mike Trout is listed at 6’2” and 235 pounds. Trout’s elite range and size gives him the ability to be versatile in the secondary.
Trout’s ability to be a force in the box at his size while also being able to drop deep and play the middle of the field is the perfect blend of athleticism and size for a safety.
Ken Griffey jr., Baseball Player
Ken Griffey jr. is regarded as one of the most iconic baseball players of all-time. He brought a unique swagger to a baseball diamond not many other players have. His swagger and confidence are only the icing on the cake though.
“The Kid” is also known as one of the greatest outfielders of all-time, winning ten gold gloves in his MLB career. At 6’3” and 200 pounds, Griffey would play a true high-safety role as a coverage player.
Special Teams
Place Kicker: Lionel Messi
Punter: Pelé
Two of the greatest soccer players of all-time as this football super team’s kicker and punter, seems logical enough.
Lionel Messi and Pelé both are clearly athletic enough to make plays on fake punts and kicks as well. Using their incredible speed to get to the edge and pick up first downs on trick plays.
Kick/Punt Returner: Derrick Rose, Basketball Player
One of the most explosive athletes since 2010. If not for injuries, Derrick Rose would be looked at as one of the greatest pure athletes of all-time. Rose was electric with the ball in his hands on a basketball court, that would transition nicely to a football field in open space.
Conclusion
This was one of the most fun articles I’ve ever done. Going back and watching some of these incredible athletes play highschool football was a joy. With that being said, I’d love to see what team you would put together. Comment below who would be on your squad or tweet at me @ryanmcaloon!
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