What if NFL superstars were wild animals?

I’m a huge football fan – especially NFL. I also love animals.

With the 2010 NFL Season mere days away, I started thinking – if the superstars of the NFL were animals, which ones would they be?

Here’s the my starting lineup.

Peyton Manning – Quarterback - Indianapolis Colts

Animal – Dolphin

Peyton Manning’s football intelligence is immeasurable. In his 13th season in professional football, there isn’t another human alive who understands the complexity of the game better than Manning.

…research has shown dolphins can solve difficult problems, while those living in the wild co-operate in ways that imply complex social structures and a high level of emotional sophistication.

..if his knowledge were in anyone else’s brain – anyone seen Scanners? Yah, that.

A recent study by Lori Marino (speaking of Quarterbacks and dolphins, Dan Marino is my favourite football player of all time – had to throw that in), a zoologist at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia who has used magnetic resonance imaging scans to map the brains of dolphin species and compare them with those of primates. Marino mentions “Many dolphin brains are larger than our own and second in mass only to the human brain when corrected for body size”.

Adrian Peterson – Running Back – Minnesota Vikings

Animal – Puma (or Cougar)

Adrian Peterson – Age 6

Pumas are arguably the best balanced felines in the wild. In terms of speed, strength and agility – the Puma dominates in every category. The Wiki never lies:

This physique allows it great leaping and short-sprint ability. An exceptional vertical leap of 5.4 m (18 ft) is reported for the cougar. Horizontal jumping capability from standing position is suggested anywhere from 6 to 12 m (20 to 40 ft). The cougar can run as fast as 55 to 72 km/h (35 to 45 mi/h), but is best adapted for short, powerful sprints rather than long chases. It is adept at climbing, which allows it to evade canine competitors.

Chad Ochocinco – Wide Receiver - Cincinnati Bengals

Animal – Pronghorn Antelope

Fast with the football, even faster with the ladies

What do the Pronghorn Antelope and #85 have in common? They were both built for speed.

[Pronghorns] can run exceptionally fast, being built for maximum predator evasion through running, and is generally accepted to be one of the fastest land mammals. The top speed is very hard to measure accurately; varying up to 86 km/h.

Jared Allen – Defensive End – Minnesota Vikings

Animal – Grizzly Bear

The Allan family Christmas card, in the name of love and peace

Jared Allen is such a beast, opposing teams develop entire game plans just to deal with him. With the rare blend of strength and speed, it’s only natural he would be compared with a Grizzly Bear.

The grizzly also has a large hump over the shoulders, which is a muscle mass used to power the forelimbs in digging. The hind legs are more powerful, however. The muscles in the lower legs provide enough strength for the bear to stand up and even walk short distances on its hind legs, giving it a better view of its surroundings. In spite of their massive size, these bears can run at speeds of up to 55 kilometres per hour (34 mph).

In the meantime, let me know what your favourite professional athlete/animal combos are! I’d love to see what you can come up with.

Here’s to enjoying another stellar year of NFL football!

GO PATRIOTS! (had to get that in as well)

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