Charles Jay
Commentary on MMA history…..as it’s happening

Brock Lesnar really had a chance

Not to win against Heath Herring, mind you. In point of fact, Lesnar is the oddsmakers’ favorite in Saturday night’s heavyweight clash.

What I’m talking about is that he had a chance to make it to the NFL, and even more to the point, IN the NFL. In fact, he could have been preparing to compete at the Metrodome on Friday, rather than the considerably smaller Target Center, where he will mix it up with Heath Herring.

It was just going to take some work on his part.

Lesnar, who was the youngest WWE champion in history, was also an NCAA wrestling champ at the University of Minnesota. In 2004 he decided to leave the WWE to pursue a dream to play pro football. And when he decided to cut loose from Vince McMahon’s group, he set his sights on his hometown Minnesota Vikings.

I was on the phone talking with what might be commonly referred to as an “NFL insider” the other day, discussing Lesnar’s athleticism. Although this person had not analyzed Lesnar’s ability as a football player too closely, being something of a wrestling fan, he had spoken with some people who had.

“I talked to a scout that said he was pretty good but he was green as grass,” said the exec, who we’ll call Insider X. “They thought he was really pretty good. But he really had no background. He was strong. He was quick. He had a lot of things going for him. But he didn’t know how to play, and that’s not something I say to demean him. What they wanted him to do was play in NFL Europe.”

Ah yes. They wanted him to play in NFL Europe. When Lesnar was in camp with the Vikings, he showed some flashes of ability but was out of control at times. During one scrimmage with the Kansas City Chiefs, he let loose with a violent sack of Chiefs’ quarterback Damon Huard, almost literally body-slamming him to the turf.

The enthusiasm was nice, but as far as decorum, it was kind of a no-no.

Though he had potential to play, in the words of many, he needed to be fine-tuned. “He needed practical experience,” said Insider X. “That means learning how to read blocks, get off blocks, getting through cut blocks and rushing the passer. It’s about recognition, feeling pressure. He had to learn how to fight through a double team, when that situation arose. That’s the kind of thing you can’t do just on natural ability.”

But it was the natural ability that piqued the interest of the Minnesota coaching staff. Lesnar allegedly skipped some practices because of injuries that may or may not have reached the kind of NFL standards that would justify an absence, at least for someone who was not a high-priced side of beef. So there may have been an “attitude” issue of sorts. Perhaps it was all part of the indoctrination.

When Vikings management cut Lesnar, they didn’t wish to get rid of him entirely. In fact, they were optimistic that they could put him on the practice squad, which enables a player to practice with the team and be put onto the active roster at a moment’s notice. Head coach Mike Tice was quoted as saying, “I can’t promise that he’ll be back before Dallas (Sept. 12), but I think at some point this season you’ll see Brock Lesnar back as a Viking.” Then, to hasten his progress, they asked him to play in NFL Europe. Of course, none of this involved rejecting him out of hand. If they were doing that they would have given him a one-way fare home, and wished him luck. But when an NFL team asked you to go to Europe (the league has since folded), that meant they had some hope for you, and that you just needed development time. “Development” is not a bad thing, in NFL parlance. It’s a GOOD thing. Being “on the street” is a bad thing.

And chances are, if Lesnar had put in enough effort to have any impact at all, he would have found himself eventually in a Vikings uniform, playing in September and October, in addition to July and August. That’s the way the market works when you’re a heck of an athlete.

“It is SO hard to find defensive linemen,” said Insider X. “There is such a premium on those guys. Lesnar seemed to have great balance and leverage. And the NFL really takes a long look at a guy who has those things and is as strong as him (Lesnar). It’s just a matter of developing quickness with the snap of the ball, learning how to use the hands. These are the things a defensive lineman has to do.”

My source made reference to Carlton Haselrig, an NCAA wrestling champion on both the Division I and Division II level who didn’t play college football, but made the Pro Bowl in just his third season as a Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman. “Like Haselrig, this guy may have been able to use some of that wrestling experience to his advantage, especially as it comes to grappling in a stand-up position against the big linemen they have in the NFL, on either side of the ball.” Ironically, Insider X was not even aware that Haselrig, too, has made a conversion to the mixed martial arts world.

What’s a shame is that Lesnar did not have to fall into the category of a guy doing this on a lark. He was still young and spry enough to pull it off, even with a hitch overseas. My guy actually feels he may have been in a better position than many players coming out of college.

“Look, the guy was 28 years old, but he wasn’t beat up. He didn’t have any knee reconstruction, at least none that I know of. He was sound physically. There was nothing wrong with his age. He could have played six or seven years in the league at least.”

But Lesnar refused to go to Europe. He also declined an offer from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. Most people are still kind of unclear on the reason, although there may have been an obvious one – vanity, if that’s what the fling with the NFL was all about.

“Well, considering this guy had an opportunity, I would say that if he didn’t want to go to Europe and be coached up a little, I would absolutely question his desire to play,” says Insider X. “It’s like that old Joe Louis line, ‘Everybody wants to go to heaven but no one wants to die.’

Maybe that’s the kind of guy Louis was referring to.”

Yeah, maybe.

And I wonder what that might ultimately say about his future in MMA, whether he wins or loses on Saturday.