Herschel Walker and Brett Favre think they can still play

[Stranger]

Falcons coach Dan Quinn says he was joking when he recently suggested that the team would be interested in 53-year-old running back Herschel Walker, who continues to say he could still play in the NFL.

hmmm, i wonder what really cause the reversal?

 

[Prime Time]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/06/30/brett-favre-i-think-i-could-play/

Brett Favre: “I think I could play”
Posted by Mike Florio on June 30, 2015

Getty Images

Herschel Walker isn’t the only middle-aged former NFL player who thinks he could still play in the NFL. Brett Favre says he could, too.

“I think I could play,” Favre tells Sports Illustratedin a “Where Are They Now?” double issue. “As far as throwing, of course. I could make all the throws I made before. . . . We’re not trying to start some he’s-coming-out-of-retirement deal. . . . But I could play.”

Plenty of former NFL players probably feel the same way, because they still feel like the guys they were when they played in the NFL. They won’t realize that they can’t until they try, and very few ever return after a multi-year absence from the game.

Regardless of whether Favre could play now, he could have played longer in Green Bay, if he hadn’t made such a hasty decision seven years ago to retire.

“Had I [taken my time deciding], I would have come back and played,” Favre said. “The drama would have been avoided.”

That response overlooks the fact that the Packers pushed him for an early decision, possibly because the Packers knew that by pushing Favre for an early decision, Favre would decide to retire — and the Packers could start the Aaron Rodgers era. If that was the plan, the performance of Aaron Rodgers since Favre retired has vindicated it.

This year, Favre finally returns to Green Bay. And the Packers can be confident that Favre won’t be unretiring one final time before his number 4 is finally retired.

 

[RamzFanz]

I would love to see a HOF caliber retired team play against a high quality NFL team.

Unless they trained for a year for the one game, they'de get stomped silly I would bet.

 

[Legatron4]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/06/30/brett-favre-i-think-i-could-play/

Brett Favre: “I think I could play”
Posted by Mike Florio on June 30, 2015

Getty Images

Herschel Walker isn’t the only middle-aged former NFL player who thinks he could still play in the NFL. Brett Favre says he could, too.

“I think I could play,” Favre tells Sports Illustratedin a “Where Are They Now?” double issue. “As far as throwing, of course. I could make all the throws I made before. . . . We’re not trying to start some he’s-coming-out-of-retirement deal. . . . But I could play.”

Plenty of former NFL players probably feel the same way, because they still feel like the guys they were when they played in the NFL. They won’t realize that they can’t until they try, and very few ever return after a multi-year absence from the game.

Regardless of whether Favre could play now, he could have played longer in Green Bay, if he hadn’t made such a hasty decision seven years ago to retire.

“Had I [taken my time deciding], I would have come back and played,” Favre said. “The drama would have been avoided.”

That response overlooks the fact that the Packers pushed him for an early decision, possibly because the Packers knew that by pushing Favre for an early decision, Favre would decide to retire — and the Packers could start the Aaron Rodgers era. If that was the plan, the performance of Aaron Rodgers since Favre retired has vindicated it.

This year, Favre finally returns to Green Bay. And the Packers can be confident that Favre won’t be unretiring one final time before his number 4 is finally retired.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

 

[Leuzer]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

I'd be for it.
Favre comes out of retirement and isn't good enough to start so he eventually re-retires for the millionth time. Meanwhile, he has to wait another 5 years to get inducted into the HOF so Warner gets the nod.

 

[Legatron4]

I'd be for it.
Favre comes out of retirement and isn't good enough to start so he eventually re-retires for the millionth time. Meanwhile, he has to wait another 5 years to get inducted into the HOF so Warner gets the nod.

Yeah but....I...shit. I like it. Come on back Brett!

 

[DaveFan'51]

Brett was careful, he said he "Could Play!" Not that he was coming out of retirement!!

 

[yrba1]

It's not a matter of whether they can play or not, it's a matter of how much they can handle taking vicious hits.

 

[CGI_Ram]

The whole Favre saga pissed off a lot more than it did me.

He was one of the best all time. Even with retirement looming I enjoyed watching him play.

 

[Prime Time]

He was one of the best all time. Even with retirement looming I enjoyed watching him play.

Same here. He was reckless and played with joy and abandon. Thought I saw some of that in Austin Davis when we first got him but there was way too much reckless and not enough success. Plus sometimes it seemed like he played scared(not that I blame him considering some of the O-lines he played behind). Favre never seemed to have any fear in him at all. He'll be missed.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

1) I seriously doubt he can run a 4.5 at this point much less a 4.3

Yeah, I call total bullshit. At his age there is no way he is as quick or fast as he was back in his NFL days. Plus he couldn't possibly heal as quickly or take as much punishment on a regular basis, without roids.

One of Herschels personalities is back on top and some lame reporter tried to make a story about it. I think at this point the media should respect his disorder and not put him in the spotlight.

 

[Zaphod]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/06/26/dan-quinn-says-he-was-joking-about-herschel-walker/

Dan Quinn says he was joking about Herschel Walker
Posted by Mike Florio on June 26, 2015

Getty Images

Well, there went the plot for a potential Disney movie.

Falcons coach Dan Quinn says he was joking when he recently suggested that the team would be interested in 53-year-old running back Herschel Walker, who continues to say he could still play in the NFL.

“Look, what I said about Herschel being one of my all-time favorite players is true, but nobody should take seriously what I said about having room on the team for him,” Quinn said, via Chris Mortensen of ESPN. “I love him, yes, but some of that was in jest. I love the running backs we have on our roster. We had a great offseason, and I’m excited about going into training camp with that group.”

Quinn admits he wasn’t misquoted when he said the Falcons “have room” for Walker, but that his words were misinterpreted. It wasn’t clear based on the initial report from theAtlanta Journal Constitution whether Quinn was serious about being interested in Walker.

So, to summarize, if Walker is going to launch a wrong-side-of-50 return to the NFL, he’ll be doing it somewhere other than Atlanta.

This article just makes me want to say ...

 

[Zaphod]

Yeah, I call total bullcrap. At his age there is no way he is as quick or fast as he was back in his NFL days. Plus he couldn't possibly heal as quickly or take as much punishment on a regular basis, without roids.

One of Herschels personalities is back on top and some lame reporter tried to make a story about it. I think at this point the media should respect his disorder and not put him in the spotlight.

This may explain his 4.3.

 

[Faceplant]

Hershel is straight up guano. Hell of an athlete, but totally unbalanced.

 

[Rynie]

Wouldn't Brett Favre be coming back to a suspension for penis-gate?

 

[jap]

I remember Jim Brown was so unimpressed with Pittsburgh's Franco Harris that when Franco was closing in on Jim's then NFL all-time rushing record of 12, 231 yards, Jim (who was closing in on 50 years old) talked to a reporter about coming out of retirement to extend his rushing mark. Jim said he didn't care for the way Franco often chose to run out of bounds instead of struggling for more yards as he [Jim] used to. He simply didn't consider Franco to be a real stud back. However, he didn't seem to mind Walter Payton breaking his mark.