Could English soccer star David Beckham be bending kicks through NFL uprights this year? One NFL scout contacted Beckham earlier this offseason to gauge his interest in trying out as a kicker, the U.K. Daily Mirror reported Tuesday.
Beckham reportedly impressed as a football player during a 2007 Adidas commercial with Reggie Bush (seen above). While other international stars such as former Tottenham striker Clive Allen and Welsh rugby star Paul Thorburn have tried their luck on the gridiron, no high-profile soccer star ever has made the successful conversion to American football.
This isn't 1970. Given less than two seconds against the oncoming rush in high-pressure situations, NFL kickers must convert 85 percent of their field-goal attempts. Even if Beckham is a rare athlete, it's laughable to believe he can step right in as one of the 40 to 50 best football kickers in the world.
Beckham's trial as a kicker only would make sense from a publicity standpoint. As it turns out, that's exactly what the NFL scout had in mind. A huge commercial juggernaut, Beckham would be a marketing coup for training camp. It's not going to happen, though.
"The offer came in, and he politely said that it wasn't right for him," a source told the Mirror. "Perhaps in the next few months he could change his mind."
Don't hold your breath. Now nearly 40 years old and having earned $47 million last year, Beckham is above turning himself into an NFL sideshow.
Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.
