Here's a fun daydream on a wretched Monday: How would you use Usain Bolt in the NFL?
The legendary Jamaican sprinter won three more Gold medals this month, completing the unprecedented "triple-triple" at the Summer Olympics. Sunday Night Football analyst and Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy was in Rio this weekend (synergy, folks), and was asked by NBC's Dan Patrick if he believed Bolt could thrive and survive on the gridiron.
"I don't know if he could survive, but he'd scare a lot of people," Dungy said. "I would use him as a wide receiver. We would definitely clear out one side of the field because he is so explosive and fast it would (be) fun to see him on the football field."
Dungy was in the stadium when Bolt anchored the Jamaican relay team on Saturday and was struck by the sprinter's size. At 6-foot-5 and 207 pounds, Bolt has the build to be an effective red-zone target in addition to ripping the top off defenses with glorious fury.
"How would Player X fare in the NFL" posts are common fodder on football blogs such as this; I'm pretty sure I've been tasked with roughly 20 "LeBron to the NFL?" posts in my time at NFL.com. But Bolt's rightful claim to The Fastest Man Alive title adds another level of intrigue. If nothing else, it would be fun to see cornerbacks giving a wide receiver 15 yards of cushion.