The boys of fall take to the field on Sunday afternoon to the delight of sports fans everywhere. And while we're excited, to say the least, for the return of the pigskin, the boys of summer still have some baseball to play all the way up through the Fall Classic.
With the majority of the NFL opening their schedule on Sunday, it might be fun to speculate which members of the Red Sox would make good football players.
The obvious place to start would be Darnell McDonald. The outfielder actually had offers to play college football at the highest level, turning down a chance to play at Texas to pursue dreams of a baseball career.
McDonald, one of the best athletes the Red Sox have to offer, was a standout high school football player in Denver where he was one of the better running backs in the country.
So perhaps he's a little too qualified for this discussion.
He's not the only fleet-footed player that could be effective on the gridiron. Could you see outfielder Ryan Kalish as a deep-threat wide receiver or, maybe, a safety?
While speed may kill, you need some power and strength, too, something of which the Red Sox have plenty. Jason Varitek would probably make a pretty good tight end with his size and strength, and you know he'd be someone who wouldn't be afraid to go over the middle. Plus, you know he has the intangibles.
Then there's third baseman Adrian Beltre, a guy who could arguably play both ways. Beltre is one of the toughest players on the Boston roster and probably would make a pretty good fullback, but perhaps he would be best-suited as a linebacker. He plays baseball with reckless abandon (just ask the Red Sox outfield) and likely would do the same in football. You could even add David Ortiz to the mix, and you'd likely have a pair of pretty good run-stopping inside linebackers.
Clay Buchholz — whom some say is one of the best athletes in the entire organization — could also translate well as a football player. Obviously blessed with a gifted arm, Buchholz could give defenses fits as a quarterback. Although with the base-running debacles Buchholz has been apart of in the last couple of years, maybe that's not the best idea.
What about Dustin Pedroia? He could be the second coming of Wes Welker, for, well, obvious reasons.
None of these players are going to quit their day jobs anytime soon, but just for fun, which Red Sox player would make the best NFL player?
Share your thoughts below.
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